The closure of the Carter Holt Harvey sawmill in Eves Valley marks the end of an era for the region and Mel Sheppard couldn’t let it end without an event to celebrate the sawmilling industry and share memories of its history and people.
This Saturday, she has organised a lunch in Brightwater for 200 or more staff and family to come together and celebrate their time in an industry that traces its roots back to Edward Baigent’s first sawmill, established in the region in1850. In 1986, the Baigent family sold the Eves Valley site to Carter Holt Harvey which built its mill.
“I couldn’t let this closure just go. It’s been such an iconic part of our region - it still feels a bit surreal.
“I felt we needed to celebrate the sawmilling sector and thank the staff who have been part of that.”
Most of the employees made redundant from the mill have already left, with the last of the 142 staff finishing up by the end of the month. Mel worked for the mill for a period as a human resources advisor and is now part of the Ministry for Primary Industries on-farm support team.
When she was working with landowners grappling with flood damage, she met the Rapid Relief Team which is run by the Brethren charity that supports communities in need. It operates a truck kitchen that delivered food to flooded landowners and now it has stepped in to donate the lunch for the redundant sawmilling workers and their families.
Mel says the impact from the mill’s closure reaches far beyond Carter Holt Harvey employees, affecting all the associated businesses - from suppliers of health and safety gear and maintenance services to commercial cleaners, trucking companies and countless other suppliers.
She says a number of employees have found work in the local industry, a few have opted for early retirement, and many truck drivers associated with the mill have at least short-term work while forest owners clear windthrow following the July storm.
Two former employees helping her organise the lunch have yet to find work. Rebecca Jacobsen worked most of her 21 years at the mill as a supervisor and had hoped it would take her through to retirement. Her sister, Brittany Jacobsen, has already applied for 15 jobs in a tightening job market as Sealord also reduces its workforce. Mel says Carter Holt Harvey staff have been working four 10-hour days and at least the living wage, so finding comparable work will not be easy.
“The change for people is massive. It’s not just about finding a new job.” The mill’s longest-serving employee has been there nearly 50 years and Mel says it was an intergenerational workforce for many families. The mill also provided valuable first jobs for local school leavers and she says that will be a loss to the community. Saturday’s lunch is an opportunity for the industry to get together and reminisce on the “good ole days”.
