Supporting Gippsland Timber Communities
In deeply sad news, the owner of the Australian Sustainable Hardwoods mill in Heyfield, Victoria announced this afternoon that this world-class mill will shut down during 2018.
TCA acknowledges the huge emotional toll this situation is taking on all the people affected and their families and friends.
We understand workforce numbers will drop very substantially as it commences wind down.
Timber Communities Australia (TCA) acknowledges Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announcement this morning.
Hopes were that additional access to harvest and regeneration areas for timber supply would be made available by the Victorian government, which owns VicForests. That access would make up for area lost due to the ongoing expansion of harvest exclusion zones, which resulted in the supply shortfall for the Heyfield Mill. This was not forthcoming.
The Premier did not rule out stepping in to buy and operate the mill, as a last resort, to preserve jobs and the local communities.
The mill owner indicated in January that it was unviable if processing was limited to the much lower level of timber supply available to them from mid-2017. TCA understands that the mill’s board of directors held a meeting yesterday to make their decision.
TCA encourages all parties involved in the negotiations to continue to keep lines of communication open and maintain their efforts to reach the best possible long term solution for the people and communities affected.
TCA supports comments about this important renewable industry made in a media statement by Victorian Association of Forest Industries CEO Tim Johnston today.
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