The Federal member for Gippsland Darren Chester with Latrobe City Mayor Kellie O’Callaghan in front of the spectacular Gippsland hardwood timber structures that feature in the entry foyer of the new performing arts centre in Traralgon.
Nationals Federal MP Darren Chester has attacked as “farcical” and an “insult” the Andrews Government’s praise for the use of local Vic Ash timber in the Latrobe Valley Performing Arts Centre while still backing the destruction of Gippsland’s native forest industry.
Mr Chester, the Member for Gippsland, officially opened the centre in early March with the Minister for Regional Development, Mary-Anne Thomas; the Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing; and Latrobe City Mayor Kellie O’Callaghan. At the end of her speech, Ms Thomas praised the role of timber in the building and said she aimed to see the industry grow.
Speaking after the official opening, Mr Chester said it was fantastic to see Gippsland timber showcased in one of the most significant buildings developed in Gippsland/Latrobe Valley in decades.
“To feature our own sustainable native timber in this performing arts and cultural centre sends a powerful message that our community believes in the future of the timber industry and want to see a sustainable future for it,” he said.
“To have the minister come here today and recognise the timber industry – the very industry that her government is shutting down – is an insult to those timber workers.
It is completely misleading and farcical for State Government ministers to come and pretend they care about the timber industry – the very industry they want close.
“I hope the minister goes back to Spring St and reflects on this building and passes the message on to her colleagues that the Gippsland timber industry has to be saved and it’s more than just a few jobs – it’s actually about the future of the community.”
The performing arts centre is dominated by 10 engineered “trees”, each 8.5 metres high and weighing more than three tonnes, that were manufactured by Australian Sustainable Hardwoods at Heyfield.
The engineered wooden glulam beams and columns act as structural columns in the main foyer to create a powerful public space. Vic Ash is also used in the stair hand rails with other native hardwoods featuring prominently, such as Blackbutt balustrades.
Mr Chester said people needed to appreciate the incredible innovation and technical improvements at the Heyfield mill in particular. “Their ability to create a high value timber product from bits of wood that used to be thrown into the chipper, is something the industry should be proud of and the community needs to know more about,” he said.
“There is very little waste in the timber industry now in terms of the high value sawlog being turned into high value products that are sustainable and a much better option than importing the products from overseas.”
Speaking on the threat to timber supply due to ‘green’ court actions against VicForests, Mr Chester he had no confidence in the Andrew Government’s forecasts around fibre supply to the paper industry.
“I think jobs will be lost in the Maryvale paper mill under this plan,” he said. The Andrews Government aims to close the native forest industry by 2030, with a major stepdown after 2024, emphasising a transition to plantation timber.
“I believe in sustainable native hardwood timber. Plantation timber has an important role to play; we should be doing both. The critical thing about the native timber industry that most people do not understand, is the role that it plays in natural disaster management and preventing bushfires in the first place,” Mr Chester said.
“They secure the access to track which are used by firefighters; they have equipment that is used when fires are on; and they have the skills in the bush we need to pass on to future generations to keep us safe.
“They should be doing mulching work around critical infrastructure, assisting with fuel reduction burning and assisting with the maintenance of tracks to keep our community safe.
VicForests also pays for the use and maintenance of the roads in the bush.”
Local contractors and suppliers were among the 62 contractor companies involved in the project. Local contractors included Weldtek (steel), Carpet Country (floor coverings) Gippsland Fire (fire extinguishers) MTS Excavations (excavations and landscaping) CME Installations (security) and Active Hospitality (kitchen and café equipment) and Law Somerville (joinery).
