The devastation of Wirrabara Forest, South Australia in the Bangor blaze could cost 44 jobs at Jamestown. Source: The Flinders News
Morgan Sawmill is sure of work for the next year cutting burnt logs but after that the future is unclear.
The business is already suffering because of last year’s fire in nearby Bundaleer Forest that destroyed 50,000 cubic metres of logs, potential feed for the sawmill.
Now flames have swept through three-quarters of Wirrabara Forest and there were fears that the whole plantation could be lost as the fire continues to rage.
One of the operators of the sawmill Luke Morgan said poor management practices by ForestrySA had contributed to the losses.
He said trees should have been thinned out at least 25 years ago and that fire tracks were hazardous for fire fighters.
“A lot of roads out there are only one-way with no turn-around areas and vehicles must reverse out,” he said.
“The fire-fighters won’t go in there because you can’t back up a fire truck for five or six kilometres.
“There is talk that forestry doesn’t want to replant the forest because it is too risky.
“The question needs to be asked – why is it too risky?
“It has been neglected for that long that once the fire gets in there, no-one can get in there to put it out.
“Tracks and roads have not had a lot of money spent on them.”
Morgan said the sawmill hoped in a year’s time to gain logs from the Adelaide Hills at a competitive price to cover an expected shortfall of supplies cause by the fire, but this depended on forestry.
“If we don’t get any logs, then we would at least have to halve the staff which means 20 to 25 workers would go,” he said.
In a worst-case scenario, the entire workforce of 44 is at risk from the possible closure of the business.
