Government lends $10m to West Coast milk co-op

The Government has given Westland Milk Products, pictured, a $9.9 million loan to help build a new Hokitika plant to separately process multiple types of special quality milks into high-value products. Westland chief executive Toni Brendish said the co-operative had to reduce its dependency on bulk dairy commodities, given their volatile pricing cycles. But the National Party’s primary industries spokesman, Nathan Guy, said the Provincial Growth Fund had become a bank.