“This is the most sophisticated recycled paper making machine in Australasia. It produces high-quality 100 per cent recycled brown paper that is stronger, more consistent and has an improved colour for our customers,” he said.

Construction of the new facility commenced in 2011, creating more than 800 jobs throughout the project and securing ongoing employment for more than 150 co-workers.

NSW Premier Barry O‟Farrell, said “The NSW Government understands that a modern manufacturing industry is crucial to a strong economy.”

“I thank Amcor for making this significant investment in manufacturing in NSW - the largest single capital investment in the company‟s 144 year history,” he said.

Packaging innovation is critical to many of Amcor‟s customers as they search for new ways to differentiate their product in highly competitive FMCG markets.

“The ability to reduce the weight of the paper over time, while maintaining its strength, gives us opportunities to partner with our customers to create packaging innovations that are simply not possible today. We will be able to offer boxes, for instance, with the same quality and strength, but with less weight,” Mr Garrard said.

The „B9‟ paper machine, so named as it is the ninth paper machine to operate at the company‟s Botany site, will produce more than 400,000 tonnes of paper annually when operating at full capacity and will deliver significant environmental benefits.

“This state-of-the-art recycled paper machine replaces three older machines aged between 43-52 years, reducing water consumption by 26 per cent, energy usage by 34 per cent and the amount of waste sent to landfill by 75 per cent,” Mr Garrard said.

At the official opening ceremony today, Mr Garrard thanked the Premier and the NSW Government, global pulp and paper engineering group Metso, and the Company‟s customers for their support.

“This complex project would not have been possible without the support of many of Amcor Australasia‟s important business stakeholders, I now look forward to working with our customers to realise the full potential of this state-of-the-art machine,” he said.

B9 Machine Statistics

• Largest and most innovative recycled paper machine of its kind in Australasia
• When operating at full capacity, the B9 machine produces 400,000 tonnes of paper annually
• Produces 1.6 kilometres of paper every minute
• The machine itself is 330 metres long, and 22 metres high
• Reels of paper weigh up to 47 tonnes and measure approximately 5.7 metres in diameter

History of Paper Making at Amcor

Amcor has a long and proud history of Australian paper making, dating back to 1868 when Samuel Ramsden founded the company‟s first paper mill - The Melbourne Mill - on the banks of the Yarra River. The company spent most of its life as Australian Paper Manufacturers Pty Ltd (APM), owning and operating dozens of paper machines across the country. For majority of this time, the company has been supported by a national Recycling business, providing majority of the waste paper input for the production of recycled paper.

The Botany Paper Mill, which is located near the shores of Botany Bay in Sydney, Australia, commenced operation in 1902 with two paper machines. Since this time, a further seven machines have been commissioned on site, the most recent of these being B9.

About Amcor Australasia

Amcor Australasia, a division of Amcor Limited, is a market leader and the most diverse packaging supplier across Australia and New Zealand. With 52 plants located in two countries, Amcor Australasia delivers a broad range of packaging solutions for the food, beverage, grocery, household, personal care and industrial markets. The breadth of packaging manufactured by Amcor Australasia to service these markets includes glass bottles, aluminium beverage cans, plastic and metal closures, corrugated fibre packaging, folding cartons and multi-wall sacks. Amcor Australasia‟s commitment to sustainable packaging is also supported by domestic and commercial recycling services. For more information visit www.amcor.com.

About Amcor Paper & Recycling

Amcor Paper & Recycling, a division of Amcor Australasia which is a subsidiary of the global packaging leader Amcor Limited, supplies paper and recycling services to customers across Australia and New Zealand. With seven plants located in Australia, including one 100 per cent recycled Paper Mill located in New South Wales, Amcor‟s Paper production is supplied by a national Recycling business which services both domestic and commercial customers. For more information visit www.amcor.com.