Timber workers in the Mid North of SA claim they are being kept in the dark by the State Government over its plans for the local forestry industry, with up to 100 jobs at risk. Source: The Advertiser
Bundaleer and Wirrabara forests were devastated by fires in 2013 and 2014. About 2000 hectares of commercial plantations were lost in the fires.
The timber harvested in the forests has supported about 100 jobs in the region, including 53 at the Morgan Sawmill in Jamestown – the largest private employer in the town of about 1600 people.
Despite the risk to local jobs no decision on the future of the forests has been made by the State Government.
An expression of interest process for the forest land was completed in August, and the government will shortly call for binding commercial proposals.
Northern Areas Council Mayor Denis Clark said replanting the forest would support the most jobs in the region.
“Unfortunately, well before the fires the forest had been run down and not managed very well for about the past 10 to 15 years,” he said.
“It takes a long time to grow but the timber is high quality and it can sustain dozens of direct and flow on jobs in the region.”
Sawmill owner Ed Morgan said the business would remain profitable and employ dozens of people if it could guarantee a supply of timber.
“With the unemployment rate so high they (the State Government) should be trying to save every job possible,” he said.
The local community has produced a plan to replant the forest and have it managed locally – instead of from Mount Gambier – to ensure it remains viable.
Northern Forests Community Initiatives Group chair Greg Boston said a proposal was put to the State Government but he had not received any feedback.
“Now, we are in the position where we have to put in a binding proposal without having any idea of what they want,” he said.
“We just don’t want it to be sold for grazing (land) because that won’t create any jobs.”
Mr Bignell said the damage from the fires made it impossible to go back to a “business as usual”
“At the current rate there is about four years of log supply remaining and replanting the forests would produce logs in more than 20 years’ time at the earliest,” Mr Bignell said. “For at least 16 years there would be no timber supply.”
Stuart MP Dan van Holst Pellekaan said the State Government was spending millions of dollars to create employment in the city but refused to invest in replanting to forest to save jobs in the Mid North.
