Hyne Timber Tumbarumba is in the process of adding a third shift as the bushfire recovery salvage operation continues. The site already employs approximately 230 people and is actively recruiting to a range of new opportunities and vacancies. Source: Timberbiz
Site Manager, Marcus Fenske said the third shift is essential as the company does its part in bushfire recovery and increases locally grown, plantation softwood timber supply to customers.
“Demand for our plantation softwood framing is very strong with one in four new homes across NSW constructed from product manufactured here at the Mill in Tumbarumba,” he said.
“The race is on to process as much salvaged, fire impacted pine logs as possible following the devastating bushfires at the start of the year.
“Once we get the burnt bark off, the processed timber is great quality and continues to be delivered to around 400 different customer sites across NSW, Victoria and ACT.
“We have already recruited 8 people, 50% of whom are women as we continue our commitment to our gender diversity at the Mill. Training in multi machine operating skills has commenced.
“We are seeking six more process operators in addition to a range of vacancies including Mechanical Fitters and a Process Electrical Technician.”
Hyne Timber continues to work with all levels of government on the medium to long term challenges ahead given over 50,000 hectares of pine plantation is fire impacted in NSW alone.
Until plantations are re-established in 20 – 30 years’ time, interim solutions for viable log supply requires Government support.
This includes prioritising all pine plantation for domestic processing over export, freight subsidies for Australian processors, and dedicated recovery coordination covering the longer-term issues of replanting and wood flow management.
Around 7500 harvested plantation pine logs are processed each day resulting in daily structural framing volumes which would stretch from Tumbarumba to Sydney.
The mill sees 150 trucks in and out each day and directly supplies to over 400 different customer sites in addition to exporting 1400 shipping containers of non-structural grade timber to 5 different nations.
The industry supply chain supports approximately 5000 jobs in the South West Slopes region and $2 billion per year to the South West Slopes economy alone. Required freight subsidies are negligible compared with the economic value of the industry.
