Southland industries are warning it'll be a long hard slog finding new jobs for smelter workers. One thousand people will lose their jobs at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter when it closes next year.
A further 1600 workers in the region whose jobs rely on the smelter will also be hit hard.
The Finance Minister Grant Robertson is promising to help find new jobs in agriculture, aquaculture and manufacturing, but will there be enough?
RNZ reporter Anan Zaki filed this report.
