Pulp and Paper: The New Zealand paper industry began in Otago in 1877, when two mills were established, one of which still operates in Mataura. Today the industry's seven units employ about 2,800 people. The exotic forests of the Auckland Provincial District provide the raw materials, and the plants are located at Penrose (Auckland) and in the Rotorua district at Kinleith, Kawerau (two units), Whakatane, and Christchurch. Present production covers most of New Zealand's pulp and paper needs, and in 1963 the first commercial runs of “printing and writing” papers were made. Expansion since the Second World War has been spectacular – production of mechanical pulp has increased from 16,851 tons in 1945–46 to 188,290 tons in 1963–64, chemical pulp, from 7,413 tons in 1953–54 (the first year of production) to 181,197 tons; newsprint, from 9,000 tons in 1955–56 (first year of production) to 168,000 tons; other paper, from 6,366 tons in 1945–46 to 82,922 tons; paper-board, from 11,605 tons to 45,098 tons; and fibre-board, from 8,672 tons to 29,229 tons. The value of the production of pulp, paper, and paperboard for 1962–63 was £23.0 million, with an additional value in manufacture of £15.8 million. For the year ended 30 June 1963 exports were 72,061 tons of newsprint (£4.0 million), mainly to Australia, and 69,067 tons of wood pulp (£2.7 million), mainly to Australia, South Africa, South-East Asia, and the United Kingdom. The principal “other papers” are kraft wrapping paper and toilet and wrapping tissues. From the kraft paper are made multiwall and other bags, container board, laminated-plastic-surfaced materials, and building, gumming, waxed, and wrapping papers.

Paper and Paperboard Products: Nearly half of the cardboard-box, carton, and paper-bag factories are in Auckland and most of the remainder are in the other main centres. Other factories (one-third of which are in Auckland and one-quarter in Wellington) produce stationery and a wide variety of goods, particularly from light tissues. About 40 per cent of the staff of 3,550 in the conversion units are women. Output was £18.8 million.