Ricky Leeson
Gippsland timber bosses have slammed the state government for a lack of action after committing $110 million last year to establish more timber plantations in the region. Source: Latrobe Valley Express
The funding was allocated in the Victorian State Budget to help with the creation of plantations in the Latrobe Valley.
Leeson’s Logging and Cartage general manager Ricky Leeson and Austimber director Ian Reid vented their frustration during a visit to a recently logged pine plantation on the outskirts of Traralgon.
Both men said they were disappointed industry stakeholders were yet to be engaged with Mr Leeson concerned a lack of proactive action could result in timber shortfalls in decades to come.
Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath also criticised the the state government and said its response was a “deafening silence”.
However, in a statement to The Express, a state government spokesperson said the government was doing its job. But industry leaders disagreed.
“Unless we get the trees in the ground we could have a shortfall down the track and that could then have a huge impact on jobs for the local area,” Mr Reid said.
“We’re here at a spot today that will be planted this winter but there’s land out there that’s been fallow for a couple of years … we have a window of about three months every year to plant trees [through winter].”
Mr Reid said he expected industry stakeholders would have been consulted by this stage with an action plan to tackle the new plantations enacted.
“We’re talking about the trees for 2050 … our industry is a long-term industry and it’s important we have long-term strategies.”
Mr Leeson, who sits on the Australian Forest Contractors Association board, said industry bodies were concerned about future planning for pine plantations.
“There will be less native forests in the future with the way the government is going so plantation is the future so we need that plantation to take over from where the native forest is currently,” he said.
