Jim Magee
My career within the timber industry extends over four decades from 1976 as an apprentice wood machinist in the manufacturing of timber windows, doors and commercial joinery to currently providing expert consultancy in green saw milling and dry solid timber machining.
In identifying the need for an independent supplier to support the timber industry, in 2000 I established Victorian Timber Engineering Pty Ltd to provide consultancy and machinery sales to green and dry mill customers to meet their needs for new plant and equipment.
My major focus was to provide advice on log optimisation, timber drying and machining and current best practice manufacturing techniques in hardwood and softwood mills, including dust extraction.
This enabled me to appreciate and have a better understanding of the individual challenges faced in operating a modern, efficient and well-equipped workplace which led to my ongoing and trusted relationships with industry partners.
In 2019 the Andrews Labor Government announced that logging in old growth forests will cease immediately, protecting around 90,000 hectares, with all logging in native forests across the state to stop by 2030, but I personally cannot remember any timber being removed from old growth forest for many years.
VicForests will extend existing native timber supply agreements until 2024, after which supply will be stepped down before ending in 2030.
After 2024 log allocations of Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus Regnans) will drop from 138,000 cubic metres a year to 85,000 cubic metres a year and this timber will to sold to the highest bidder. The industry has no information as to the availability of mixed species logs going forward.
In disagreement with the government’s 2019 announcement, I recently wrote to the Victorian Auditor General, Andrew Greaves, requesting a performance audit into the announcement that all logging in native forests across the state will stop by 2030, as well as a follow up of the 2013 audit report “Managing Victoria’s Native Forest Timber Resources”.
Victoria’s Environment Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio in July 2020 commissioned the review of the Code of Practice for Timber Production. To date this report has not been released; the obvious question is why not? There is currently great uncertainty as to the future of the industry post 2024.
A continuation of current allocations until 2030 would give the industry time to retool and diversify into other timber products. I am committed to ensuring a long-term and sustainable future for Victoria’s forestry industry and for the Victorian timber workers and their families who rely on it.
I am a member of the CFMEU Manufacturing Division and care deeply about the timber industry and for all those I work alongside both in the city and in regional communities around Australia.
Our concerns need to be heard by Federal, State and Local governments.
I am currently running for election within the CFMEU Manufacturing Division under the Members’ First banner. We are a group committed to the sustainable long-term future of our timber, paper and manufacturing industries. We will continue to lobby governments hard for current log allocations to continue and for the voices of timber workers and their families to be heard.
Jim Magee is Deputy Mayor with the City of Glen Eira.
