Patea Freezing Works

The West Coast Meat and Produce Export Company was formed in August 1883 and operated a tinning plant and tallow factory in the area.

Residents regarded the area as a health hazard and blamed its high visibility from the highway as being partly responsible for a decline in property values over the years.

[1] Parts of the site were owned by the South Taranaki District Council and Escada Enterprises of Sydney, Australia The site was riddled with Asbestos cladding and insulation, chemicals, heavy metals, boiler ash dumps, rusting fuel storage tanks and collapsing structures.

[2] During August 2009 Nikau Contractors were awarded the contract to demolish and clear the Patea Freezing works site.

[4] This was despite support from local Iwi, and the South Taranaki Mayor Ross Dunlop, to explore the possibility of preserving the chimney as a monument.