Tiwai Point smelter – we want to stay

The Tiwai Point smelter is both a jobs-rich boon and a long-standing political headache. (Image: Getty)

Tue, 08 Feb 2022

The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter looks set to operate for years beyond its previously signalled 2024 closure as a combination of its green energy source and booming global metal prices improve its future outlook dramatically.The smelter’s majority owner, Rio Tinto, issued a rare statement backing the smelter’s long-term future just a day after the government last Wednesday launched a ‘just transitions’ strategy for Southland to cope with what official documents described as the smelter’s “impending closure&r...

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