Te Pāti Māori Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau is urging a full wraparound of services to intervene quickly with families affected by today's announced closure of the Penrose Mill. Seventy-five people are set to lose their jobs right on the eve of Christmas.

"I want to extend my thoughts and aroha to those families who will be affected by today’s announced closure of the Penrose Mill. I am gutted," said Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

"The mill, operated by OjiFS, employs a high number of Māori and Pacific people. The impact of the loss of jobs will be felt widely.

"Today I’ll be reaching out to the mill and contacting services to ensure they have the support needed to facilitate reemployment and support for the people and families affected. It’s really important they get the support through this hard time."

The mill cites a range of factors contributing to the economic decline of the Penrose plant, including supply chain disruptions, increased costs for raw materials, freight, and energy.

"All political parties should take heed of the closure of Penrose and Winstone Mills as a warning, not just for businesses but the livelihoods of our whānau. We all need to work together on energy security in Aotearoa,’ Kemp said.

Oji says it will meet all contractual and legal obligations regarding the impact on employment.

© Scoop Media