Newspaper Article – Orchard company wants to put up packing shed

Orchard company wants to put up packing shed

An application from Camborne Orchards Ltd to erect a commercial fruit-packing shed on a rural B site in St Georges Rd was considered by the Hawkes Bay County Council’s planning committee yesterday.

The committee reserved its recommendation.

Mr P. T. Gifford, who presented the application on behalf of Mr M. J. Paynter, said the Paynter family had been associated with orcharding for a long period.

The application also covered the operations of Paynter Horticultural Enterprises Ltd and J. H. Paynter and Son, which were family enterprises associated with Camborne Orchards.

Mr M. J. Paynter said that the most convenient location for the packhouse was on the company’s land, where there was already a coolstore.

He wanted the plant to be fully utilised at all stages, because of the initial capital cost – about $100,000.

Mr B. T. Elmore, county planning officer, in his report to the committee said no objections to the application had been received.

“The applicant wishes to pack not only his own fruit but also fruit from other properties and what is being sought in effect, is a commercial packing house,” said Mr Elmore.

For this reason he recommended that the council consider the application very carefully.

It was intended to install a grader and ancillary equipment in the new pack house, he said. The plant would employ 50 or 60 people, but nearly that number was employed already in the old building. Improved mechanical packing methods could mean a reduction in the number of employees.

He said the production of the various orchards would not at first take up the whole capacity of the plant, and he wished to take in fruit from other growers for grading, and packing on a contract basis.

Mr Paynter estimated that the peak year would be 1985 when the throughput would be 180,000 cartons of apples in March, April and May, and 40,000 trays of stone fruit in January and February.