between 1925 and 1935 "pinus radiata" was first introduced as a commercial tree crop, to the district - as the trees were found not to be adversely affected by the local soil deficiencies. as the initial crops matured, tokoroa was then developed as a residential satellite for kinleith mill workers (new zealand forest products limited's integrated timber, pulp and paper mill), approximately 8 km south of the township. in 1948, tokoroa had a population of 1,100. by the early 1970s, however, tokoroa reached, for a time, a population of over 20,000 - the number necessary to be officially deemed a city. in the 1980s years nzfp (and later, mill-owner carter holt harvey ltd) began to downscale and restructure operations at kinleith. tokoroa's population fell to approximately 18,000. since the late 1980s ongoing downscaling at kinleith - and closing of other local industries - has resulted in a marked drop in population. census figures put the 2006 population at approximately 13,600.