Eden-Monaro MP Kristy McBain has called upon Prime Minister Scott Morrison to do more about the timber shortage and supply. Source: Tumut & Adelong Times
Speaking in Federal Parliament she mentioned the devastating effect the shortage would have on the likes of Tumut and Tumbarumba if it not addressed.
“It is time the Prime Minister took responsibility for the severe timber shortage that is being felt right across Australia,” she said.
The Eden-Monaro electorate takes in some of the main timber areas in the country, including Tumut, something Mrs McBain was keen to point out.
“In my electorate alone, we are seeing home construction delays of up to 18 months, and this is an area that was devastated by bushfires,” she said.
“That could mean an extra 18 months of people being without a home. More broadly, the timber shortage is threatening Australia’s construction industry and the jobs it supports across the country. I’m standing here today raising this issue because the timber shortage and the lack of government action would disproportionately affect businesses, individuals and families in my region.”
She said she knew there are several factors which have contributed to the shortage, including the Black Summer bushfires, which devastated the region and wiped out 40% of the softwood plantation supply in parts of the electorate.
“The fire impacts have had a serious adverse impact on the future availability of timber products, for at least the next 20 to 30 years, in the South West Slopes and also Bombala,” she said.
“The plantation sector is the most significant socioeconomic contributor to the South West Slopes region. Thousands of jobs are reliant on this sector, through Hyne Timber at Tumbarumba, AKD Softwoods, and Visy in Tumut, and there’s an estimated 500 jobs in Bombala and surrounds, through the Dongwha timber mill.
“Timber processors in Tumut and Tumbarumba fear the timber shortage will lead to people losing their jobs, which would have a devastating impact on these towns. With salvage logging ending, there are fears there won’t be enough wood for all the processors in the region to have continued supply at their usual levels.”
She said she had spoken to truss and frame business owners across the region, from Bega to Tumut, who also have serious concerns about accessing supply, mentioning Tumbarumba’s Hyne Timber specifically.
“I’ve met with Hyne Timber multiple times,” she said.
“They produce about 20% of the wood which goes to housing trusses manufactured in Australia. They, like other industries, are working hard to secure supply from alternative sources, but this means crippling increases to the cost of manufacturing, due to the increased freight costs.”
She said the government’s bushfire recovery package for processors specifically excluded freight support.
“While Hyne has found ways to continue in the short term, there is uncertainty about the long-term viability of some of these mills,” she said.
“Without a consistent supply of logs, mills will be forced to close and jobs will be lost.
She said that the problems began before the Black Summer fires.
“Prior to bushfires, demand in Australia for softwood for house framing was already exceeding local supply,” she said.
“Timber is already being imported from overseas to frame up a fifth of our homes today, but if this shortage isn’t addressed, we are headed towards a deficit of 250,000 house frames. A lack of action risks the timber shortage becoming an entrenched problem. We’ll no longer have the capacity to provide Australian softwood to build Australian homes into the future.
“A real plan, followed by real action, is needed. This government needs to listen to industry, listen to construction workers and listen to everyday Australians trying to build or renovate their homes, because this timber shortage is affecting everyone. If the government doesn’t actually do something, we risk not having adequate supplies of Australian timber not just next year but over the coming decades.”
She accused the government of being aware of the problem but doing nothing.
“The frustrating thing is that this government has been well aware of this,” she said.
Softwoods Working Group and South West Slopes Forestry Hub chair Peter Crowe said that Mrs McBain had outlined a problem well known in the industry.
“There has to be serious planning to address this problem at state and Commonwealth level,” he said.
“There is a steadily increasing gap between availability and supply of timber,” he said.
“Australia now has a worst softwood supply problem than it had post World War I and World War II. The size of the plantation estate across Australia is decreasing, because plantation land is being converted back to pasture.”
