NEW timber processing plant will be established at the former Kimberly-Clark Tantanoola pulp mill site, with Mount Gambier-based company Roundwood Solutions announcing a $6m investment for its first stage of development.
An estimated eight full-times jobs will be created in stage one of the development, which will be in addition to the company’s 65 workers employed at its Yahl plant.
The company is Australia’s largest wholesale supplier of timber posts and its new plant, to be built at the 40ha site, will accompany its current operations.
Roundwood Solutions plans to have stage one operational this year and where possible, will engage South East contractors during the construction of the plant.
Company managing director Steve Telford said the company would be the first to occupy the new business estate at the former mill site, named the ‘Tantanoola Enterprise Park’.
“It will be the first enterprise park of its type in the region and will offer a tremendous opportunity for businesses to expand and/or establish themselves in the region,” he said.
“Stage one will allow our business to better meet increasing customer demand for our products and we are very pleased to be able to expand our business into Wattle Range.
“As a local family owned company, we feel it is important to support local communities and offer employment opportunities for locals.”
Further development stages by Roundwood Solutions are planned and will be announced “in due course”.
Kimberly-Clark’s Millicent Mill manager Scott Whicker said since pulping operations ceased in 2011 on the former Tantanoola Mill site, the company has investigated many options to return business operations “of significant size” to benefit the region.
“We believe Roundwood Solutions’ operations will fulfil that goal and look forward to the operations there being a success for them and the region for many years to come,” he said.
Wattle Range Council chief executive Ben Gower said the new facility would provide a “great boost for local jobs”.
