Melina Bath at the site of the Nowa Nowa Seedling Nursery
Plans for a $2million Victoria’s State Government-owned native seedling nursery at Nowa Nowa, East Gippsland, have been officially scrapped. Source: Timberbiz
The nursery, announced in 2020, was to be built on the site of a former sawmill on the outskirts of the town as part of the Government’s response to expected timber supply shortage following the decision in 2019 to phase out native logging by 2030.
However, despite government media releases claiming construction was set to begin, progress at the site stalled and was cancelled this week.
It had been billed as a key supplier of plantation timber, but the Victorian Government finally admitted it was “not suitable for development as the main site for the commercial scale state forest nursery”.
It is understood that diesel contamination has polluted parts of the site.
Nationals Upper House member Melina Bath in August 2021 quizzed Regional Development Minister Mary-Anne Thomas on the nursery only to be told investigations into the site were still underway.
“Development of the Nowa Nowa site as a location for the nursery has taken longer than anticipated by VicForests, but it is important that proper due diligence is undertaken to
Timber Towns Victoria president Karen Stephens said that at a time in history when the building industry was seeing record growth the forestry sector was being hamstrung by government bungling time and time again.
“Dan Andrews announced the phase out of the native timber industry across Victoria and committed to plant 50,000ha of plantations.
“But he is now struggling with only 550ha planted to date – a critical failure on behalf of this government to be able to deliver.
“The news that the government has withdrawn from the timber nursery at Nowa Nowa further cements the lack of commitment to rural and regionals communities by this government and its ability to deliver on promises.
“TTV calls on the government to honour its commitment and immediately secure another site in Nowa Nowa and deliver on the much-anticipated promise for this small rural community.”
The Nationals yesterday claimed the decision was “another red flag on catastrophic building and construction material shortages that will be generated when Labor bans native timber in 2030 – at the cost of tens of thousands of Victorian jobs’’.
Leader of The Nationals and Shadow Minister for Agriculture Peter Walsh said Labor’s short-sighted timber ban will cost Victorian livelihoods and stall the dreams of Victorians hoping to build their own home.
“Victoria’s native timber industry supports tens of thousands of local jobs in harvest and haulage, at timber mills, and in furniture-making and manufacturing – all will be axed by Labor in 2030 if the ban isn’t reversed,” Mr Walsh said.
“The ban will also guarantee more delays for Victorians dreaming of building their own home. Native timber is crucial for flooring, doors, window frames and fixtures, while plantation is used for housing frames.
“Builders are already facing nine-month delays for timber trusses and say material supply shortages are contributing to houses now taking 30% longer to build.
“Walking away from the promise to build this nursery confirms what we already know – Labor’s claims of a ‘transition plan’ are nothing more than a cruel hoax.”
The Andrews Labor Government claimed the $10 million Victorian Forest Nursery would create 30 jobs in Nowa Nowa and “options to reskill and employ existing timber industry workers” with new courses at TAFE Gippsland’s Forestec campus.
It came out of the Government’s failed $110 million promise in 2017 to plant an extra 50,000 hectares of plantation estate.
Ms Bath said it was time Labor admitted it got it wrong.
“The Labor Government talks about transitioning to plantation by 2030, but the timber takes 30 to 40 years, plus, to mature to sawlog quality,” Ms Bath said.
“The simple truth is demand for timber products will still be there when the Government axes the industry in eight years’ time, but there won’t be enough supply to meet demand.
“Labor’s ban will axe Gippsland jobs and threaten the survival of our small timber communities,” she said.
“The Liberals and Nationals stand with our timber communities and have committed to scrapping Labor’s native timber ban. Only a change in Government in November will save Victorian jobs and timber communities.”
