End of Native Timber Harvesting in the State of Victoria, Australia, Forces Local Sawmill to Close

The State of Victoria, Australia, previously announced that it is preparing to end the harvesting of native timber no later than January 1st, 2024. The state says that the end of native timber harvesting will better protect the environment and the native wildlife that depends upon it. Nearly all of Australian native timber harvest is composed of hardwood species.

According to reporting by ABC News (7-23-23), one of the businesses that will be impacted by the end of native timber harvesting is Walker’s timber mill, located in Corryong, Victoria. The mill has been in continuous operation for over 58 years. The third-generation owner of the mill, Graham Walker, said the mill predominantly produces timber pallets for one national company.

Walker announced the decision to close the mill to his 21 employees, many with over 40 years of service, in May. The mill will continue to operate until it runs out of wood, which he expects will be prior to the end of the year. Walker told ABC News, “We needed to make the decision because if we continued our employees wouldn’t get a redundancy from the government.”