Nationals member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, questioned the Minister of Agriculture, Gayle Tierney, in parliament on December 20 over future job security for Opal Maryvale Mill employees.
In 2019, the Labor government announced plans to phase out native forest logging by 2030, pledging $120m in financial assistance to the sector for workers for training programs, employment assistance and top-ups to redundancy payments.
Ms Bath said Ms Tierney refused to provide a guarantee on the future security of the 200 Maryvale Mill jobs in question.
“Instead of guaranteeing job security, Minister Tierney spruiked a workers support service scheme it had ‘rapidly activated’ for mill workers that included employment and mental health support services,” Ms Bath said.
“These are activities that would not be needed if workers were not facing the real prospect of permanent redundancy – they’re cold comfort to the workers who have been stood down.
“Labor just don’t get it – Latrobe Valley locals are not satisfied with Labor’s response of ‘minimising job impacts’; they want long term job security.”
While Ms Bath’s compassion for Opal Maryvale Mill employees is evident, industry closures have been forthcoming for upward of three years under Victoria’s transition away from native timber harvesting.
Labor has reiterated its dedication to supporting timber workers, and has provided continued support to sawmills and forest contractors to ensure workers are retained and paid.
In a statement released on December 13, Ms Tierney confirmed Opal had assured the government there would be no immediate job losses before Christmas.
“We are currently exploring with Opal pathways to defer any potential stand downs and redundancies for as long as possible beyond Christmas to give workers additional certainty,” the statement read.
“We are getting on with the job of delivering the Victorian Forestry Plan with more than $200 million in transition and investment support to timber businesses, workers and communities.”
The Victorian Forestry Plan includes more than $85 million in funding for local strategies, community development, and business transition and innovation, and a $120 million investment for a new plantation estate in Gippsland to support the sustainable future of forestry.
The Nationals reiterated earlier demands that Labor step up and protect local timber manufacturing jobs at Opal long term.
Ms Bath said where there is a will, there is a way to secure the future of jobs at the Maryvale Mill, claiming there is no will from Labor.
“The Andrews government has failed to source any additional timber supplies to get Latrobe Valley Opal workers back to work and recommence local manufacturing of Australia’s flagship copy paper,” Ms Bath said.
“It’s no secret that VicForests as a state government owned authority is constrained by the Andrews government’s ongoing refusal to close the loopholes in the Timber Code of Practice that enables activists to take out legal injunctions to halt legal logging activities.
“Labor is only interested in pursuing its green ideology.
“It continually fails to stand up for our Latrobe Valley industries and workers.”
VicForests has appealed the recent Supreme Court decision and commissioned independent advice on a survey method to comply with Court Orders to enable timber harvesting to resume.
Third party litigation against VicForests is occurring through the jurisdiction of the Victorian Supreme Court and cannot be removed by parliament.
“As I made clear in parliament, the Victorian government is supporting affected timber workers,” Ms Tierney told the Gippsland Times.
“We are actively engaging with Opal on pathways to give workers additional certainty.”
Opal Maryvale Mill workers can access dedicated support services right away by calling 1800 177 001.
