General News
1 June, 2023
New forestry deadline means uncertainty for local business
The Victorian Government have brought the end of native timber logging forward by six years, leaving businesses operating in the industry un-certain about the future, including Talbot Timbers. Using its recent budget, the Andrews Labor Government...
The Victorian Government have brought the end of native timber logging forward by six years, leaving businesses operating in the industry uncertain about the future, including Talbot Timbers.
Using its recent budget, the Andrews Labor Government accelerated its existing plans to phase out native timber logging by 2030 — announcing more than $200 million to support workers to transition out of the industry, which will grind to a halt as of January next year.
Support for the industry now sits at $875 million, including existing worker-support services and funding to transition to plantation timber.
For Talbot Timbers owner Alistair Hull the sudden announcement came as a shock and has created uncertainty around the industry, and businesses, future.
“It’s thrown everyone in a spin and there’s a lot of uncertainty because there isn’t much information out there yet,” he said.
“There is talk that there’d be some work continuing in forests beyond that cut off date, but it’s not clear at this stage.
“You’ve got to be a little bit optimistic I suppose but stress can be a killer, it just builds up and that uncertainty about the future is an uncomfortable feeling.”
Ahead of the government’s initial 2030 end date for native timber logging, Mr Hull had been working with regenerative forestry company Wood4Good to create a model of sustainable timber production locally, utilising Majorca’s sugar gum plantation.
It was hoped that Mr Hull would gain full access to the plantation and take over management responsibilities of the 500 acre sugar gum plantation in a push that would secure the businesses future, as well as showcase the long-term sustainability of the industry in regional areas.
However, with the government bringing forward the exit date for native timber, Mr Hull said he’s unsure of what the future holds.
“If we don’t secure Majorca, I can’t see a future for us until other plantations mature and that could be 10 years away,” he said.
“We had one discussion about the proposal with people with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action who are doing some more assessments before they get back to us but that was two weeks ago and this announcement hadn’t been made by then.
“The plan the government had for us to transition into plantations by 2030 at the latest would have probably worked out alright for us.
“Being cut off from state forests though, we don’t have that transition period anymore that we can go through.”
For Mr Hull, who’s family has been in the timber industry for 200 years, he’s keen to see what he’s built continue.
“We opened Talbot Timbers in 1986, it was a year after the bushfires went through here and that’s what got us started,” he said.
“I’m closer to retirement than not and it would be good to see what we kicked off keep rolling on.
“We’re all for transitioning to operating in plantations, but we also know the forests won’t look after themselves and need management.
“We have our fingers crossed that management will still happen.”
Wood4Good director Sebastian Klein said it was unclear what the government’s announcement would mean for the plan to take over management of the Majorca plantation.
“What Alistair does at Talbot Timbers is fairly unique in the state and maybe the country,” he said.
“He manages a plantation that was established more than 100 years ago and does it very selectively and almost sensitively in terms of extracting wood in a way you almost wouldn’t know it had happened.
“Plantations like Majorca are an example of just one of the ways the industry can diversify and demonstrate that saw logs can be grown outside of the areas stereotypically thought of as forestry zones.
“We (Wood4Good) manage about 600 hectares of land in the state and when we were working with Alistair on his transition plan we found there was around 220 hectares of plantation that could be managed like Majorca and provide permanent income to farmers and land owners in good years and bad years.”
Member for Ripon Martha Haylett said the announcement was devastating for those in the industry, and that she would aid them to access support.
“The announcement that native timber logging will end from January 1, 2024 is devastating for forestry workers and their families across Victoria, including in Ripon,” she said.
“The Victorian Government has allocated $200 million to help transition the industry. I will stand with forestry workers every step of the way in navigating this process.
“My office will be available to help assist any local forestry workers during this time.”