Local timber workers are waiting at the ready to deliver Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s vision for a stronger timber industry, according to Deniliquin’s Gulpa Sawmill owner Ben Danckert. Source: Deniliquin Pastoral Times
Mr Danckert, who is chair of The Nationals’ Red Gum branch, said all the industry needs is access to the forests which had supplied commercial timber for generations.
The former Moira and Millewa state forests surrounding Deniliquin and Mathoura were converted to the Murray Valley National Park and closed to commercial timber harvesting in 2011.
Mr Turnbull said he was “committed to developing this (timber) industry as a growth engine for regional Australia” at the Australian Forest Products Association dinner in Canberra.
“Tonight, I am pleased to announce I am requesting Anne Ruston to help us develop a new government plan that will underpin growth in the renewable timber and wood-fibre industry and work with a new government plan to give you the vision and certainty you need,” the PM said at the dinner.
Mr Danckert said the Prime Minister’s statement was in line with the Red Gum Branch’s ongoing attempts to have commercial timber harvesting returned to the Murray Valley National Park.
He said he and The Nationals’ Red Gum branch would be working to capitalise on the Prime Minister’s stance.
“It is certainly encouraging to see the Prime Minister thinks this way, and I will be doing everything I can to follow up on it,” Mr Danckert said. “To have the Prime Minister say he is going to look after regional Australia and the timber sector is great.
“If we have the PM on board, we would hope others will follow.
“The National Parks model (which prevents commercial timber harvest) stifles the Prime Minister’s commitment, and hopefully his speech at the dinner is an indication things might be changing soon.”
Mr Danckert said efforts to progress the Red Gum Branch’s commercial harvesting motion — which was passed as The Nationals’ policy at its annual conference this year — with the NSW Government is also continuing.
The branch’s efforts saw NSW Deputy Premier and leader of The Nationals John Barilaro and Minister for Lands and Forestry Paul Toole visit Deniliquin and the Murray Valley National Park last month.
During the visit, which was at the invitation of Mr Danckert and his branch, Mr Barilaro promised an allocation of 15,000 tonnes of wood harvested through thinning trials for commercial purposes. This wood had previously been allocated for firewood.
Mr Barilaro is expected to return to the area in coming weeks with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Minister for Environment Gabrielle Upton.
There is speculation another announcement on timber will be made during the visit, however, Mr Danckert said he was unsure if that would be case.
“All I know is the Premier and Minister Upton have indicated they will visit,” Mr Danckert said. “They have given no solid commitment, but I am led to believe (their visit) will be very soon.”
A spokesperson from Mr Barilaro’s office confirmed a visit was on the agenda, but not yet locked in. The spokesperson said he anticipated more detailed planning would begin once Coalition pre-selection processes for the Murray and Cootamundra electorates were completed.
