Hope still for new use for Kawerau mill 30 Jun 2021 08:24 AM Photo: New Zealand Geothermal Association. More Related Stories Tane Philips: Hope still for new use for Kawerau mill Kawerau union leader still hopes a new use can be found for the mill - and the remaining workforce. The last newsprint making machine shut down yesterday, ending almost 70 years of production on the site. Tane Philips from the Pulp and Paper Workers Union says at its peak the mill had over 2000 workers, but by the end, there were just 160, with an average age of 52. He says the closure is a blow to Kawerau, but he lives in hope.