Peter McConachy
My family is fourth generation timber industry and I first started in the industry 50 years ago. I have a long connection with CMFEU, first joining the union when I was 16 years old.
At McConachy`s Road, Three Bridges, our family had a sawmill and plaster factory in the 1940s. The timber industry was one of the biggest employers in the Yarra Valley at that time.
We have an ongoing profile of “we have built this city”.
As timber industry people we have a long record of building inner city Melbourne and our local towns; Powelltown, Yarra Junction, Warburton, Millgrove, Wesburn, Healesville are all timber towns built by timber industry construction.
We have just had legislation passed in State Parliament that now gives opportunity to all types of bodies to invoke penalties to individual workers for perceived environmental breaches ranging from $20,000 per individual to contractors $109,000.
This penalty flows on to not only workers and contractors but also cartage contractors and VicForest.
Does this flow onto DELWP and ParksVic workers because we all are the chain of managing our forests?
I find it appalling that the State Labour Government has stepped away from the working-class people and their families; in the past they were always there to protect those individuals. Is this victimisation of rural Victorians?
The leader of the Federal Opposition, Anthony Albanese, said “we must try and find a renewable Industry”. We already have the best renewable Industry – FORESTRY
We have had Senator Carr condemning Australian Paper (Opal) for purchasing overseas paper instead of utilising Victorian produce and workers yet didn’t condemn Bunnings for not selling Victorian Sustainable hardwood timber.
How can a Federal Opposition be promoting Victorian timber and their workers and yet our State Labor Government shutting down our renewable sustainable Industry?
Forest contractors and workers are constantly having activists intruding on to authorised work sites, locking on to machinery, with a barrage of verbal abuse and workplace harassment and intimidation, causing contractor and workers’ loss of production, huge costs, and mental stress.
Perceived environmental breaches on coupe operations is a major issue.
When a contractor leaves a logging site there is opportunity for individuals to move coupe boundary tapes that could induce a breach. This has been known to happen in the past.
Contractors and workers receive nil support in this matter from the State Government.
Why has there not been a Bill passed in parliament that charges all these activists with penalties of intruding on a legal worksite and inducing workplace harassment?
This same intrusion would not be lawfully tolerated on a construction site in Melbourne.
My own personal view is that a State Premier is put in place to govern for all Victoria, no matter their race, colour, gender, or their occupation
As a timber industry member, I feel so neglected and deserted by these decisions.
I feel the Labor Party that once supported Victorian workers has lost its way and is only focused on inner city Melbourne.
We have been informed that at present the plantation timber suppliers cannot supply any pine or hardwood logs to our own sawmill, and by 2024 they will completely run out of resource supply for the domestic market.
You may ask yourself is this just a timber industry rant, but all the trades people associated with the timber industry need to ask Government where will they get all their timber supplies and what cost imported into Australia?
As we know, timber prices are increasing dramatically as we speak, therefore the cost factor goes on to the consumer.
We are at present importing timber from rain forest countries. It is a disgrace that the State Government is allowing this to happen.
Peter McConachy has been a logging contractor and has worked in the timber industry for more than 50 years. He was a director of Powelltown Sawmills, in the Yarra Valley, Victoria.
