A new forest waste processing facility near Rotorua is creating up to 150 jobs in the region.

Pacific Pine Derivatives has announced that a new facility processing forest waste into turpentine and rosin will be established in Kaingaroa Village.

National Distribution Union wood sector secretary Rawiri Daniels, who is based in Rotorua, says the news was welcome for an industry that has suffered a string of job losses in recent years.

'Wood processing has taken a hit, loosing over 1000 jobs since 2008, prompting a crisis meeting at parliament in January,” says Rawiri.

'With log prices at record highs, exporters of raw logs were making money, but value-added wood processors were being put out of business.

'Since then the gap between the price of raw logs and processed logs has widened which is making life easier for processors, and to also see a new facility extracting forest waste being established is a welcome boost for Rotorua workers.”

Rawiri says he looked forward to a constructive relationship with the company, and was writing to them to establish a point of communication.