Sawdust and Slabs: The disposal of sawn waste from colonial and dominion-era sawmills of New Zealand

Abstract

This research is concerned with the disposal of sawn waste from colonial and dominion-era sawmills of New Zealand. Research has focussed upon common methods of disposal from sawmills, the attitudes of sawmillers towards the disposal of their waste and its consequences, and the attitudes and responses of the public and of the state towards the disposal of sawn waste and its consequences. Research focussed on three case studies; two northern kauri sawmills, Kohukohu (1879 – 1919) and Whangape (1905 – 1919) and on a dispute surrounding the disposal of sawn waste on the West Coast of the South Island (1878 – 1924). An explanatory case study approach was taken to find causal links between methods, attitudes and responses. Through these case studies and supporting evidence, it has been shown that the generation and disposal of sawn waste was a contentious issue. Waste was generated in significant quantities; however, waste disposal was often a difficult task. A multitude of methods existed for the destruction or utilisation of sawn waste, yet, only a handful of methods could consume significant quantities; the establishment of a dump, destruction or consumption by fire, disposal via water and, where circumstances were favourable, the reclamation of land. Where waste could not be effectively stored or utilised due to costs or due to a constrained working environment, waste was often disposed of into water to clear it from the mill site. Legislation and regulations were designed to prohibit sawmill refuse from aquatic environments due to the negative effects this waste exerted. Enforcement of these regulations varied between environments and both between and within regions and at times appear to have been stifled by national politics. Concern by the public at the local level appears to have been minimal, perhaps due to ignorance, indifference or an economic reliance upon sawmilling. However, in certain regions, public support for the work of regulatory bodies enforcing anti-pollution regulations was stifled due to fears about personal safety, due to their mingling with sawmillers in their communities. Sawn waste, especially sawdust, appears to have been a troublesome material that garnered attention at all levels of society across many, if not all of the timber producing regions of New Zealand.