Walkers’ timber mill in Corryong powered down for the last time on Monday, putting 24 Sawmill closure hits hard employees out of work and severely impacting the local economy. Sources: Corryong Courier, photo Mark Jesser Border Mail
The closure came on the back of the Victorian government’s decision to bring forward the end of native timber harvesting from 2030 to January 1, 2024.
The mill predominantly made timber pallets and had been operating until its stockpile of logs was exhausted.
It is the end of an era for the mill after 87 years of operation under three generations of the family.
Current owner, Graham Walker, said at the time of the state government’s decision that it was important for him to consider the situation of long-term employees who could receive the maximum redundancy from the government.
“If we were to continue business as usual, we had no certainty of saw log quantity from VicForests, they had only guaranteed 55% of our 19,000m3 allocation,” he said.
“It’s the hardest decision I have ever made but it was the right one for our employees.
“The government’s decision to end native forest logging is ripping small communities like Corryong apart.
“The flow-on effect for our suppliers will be felt heavily as more than $4.5-5m per year was going into the economy and supporting other businesses.
“I think our family can hold its head high in every aspect of our business dealings,” Mr Walker told Anthony Bunn of the Border Mail.
There are no plans for the future of the mill site, but several workers are staying on for a few weeks to clean up the site and bag thousands of tonnes of waste for firewood.
Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley, said the mill closure was a disgrace.
“You can paper over this with a promise of training or re-skilling, but this is 20-plus jobs and the flow-on from that is devastating for the town,” he said.
