Latest News
• Add My News • Search Old News
Heyfield mill closure to begin earlyAustralian Sustainable Hardwoods has announced today it will close its Heyfield mill earlier than planned. By Portal Admin - 15th June 2017 - Back to News ASH confirmed today the mill will wind down from August due to "VicForests expected short supply of logs to the mill again this year".
At a recent hearing for the parliamentary inquiry into VicForests, VicForests Acting CEO Nathan Trushell confirmed the amount of timber available to industry has dropped by nearly 60,000m3 due to confirmed possum sightings and projected future sightings.
Mr Trushell also said the possum was being discovered at a rate "much higher than ever anticipated".
There are 260 people employed at the Heyfield mill, while the mill’s operations support 7000 jobs down the line.
Leader of the Opposition Matthew Guy and Member for Gippsland East Tim Bull visited the Heyfield mill again today to speak with ASH.
Comments attributable to Leader of the Opposition Matthew Guy
The Liberal-Nationals understand the importance of this business to the Heyfield community and committed in February that an elected Liberal-Nationals government would keep the mill open and save these jobs.
Daniel Andrews' promise to fight for every Victorian job was clearly a lie. The Andrews government has presided over thousands of lost Gippsland jobs with no remorse for their failure to step in and save them.
Comments attributable to Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh
The Heyfield community and Victoria’s forestry industry have endured increasingly difficult conditions under a Labor Government more concerned with protecting possums than Victorian jobs.
The Premier for Melbourne is so desperate to keep his own job and the greens preferences that got him there that he is condemning 260 jobs in the Heyfield community.
Comments attributable to Member for Gippsland East Tim Bull
The closure of the Heyfield mill is devastating news for the workers, their families and the Heyfield community.
Daniel Andrews promised to visit Heyfield in February, but more than three months later he still refuses to show any support for our community.
The Premier for Melbourne fails to understand the mill doesn’t need a new owner to save these jobs, it needs a change in government policy.
Media contact:
Emma Manser
0437 225 386
emma.manser@opposition.vic.gov.au
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: support@gippsland.com
Related Articles- Danny O’Brien condemns sudden AKD Yarram timber mill closure, 73 jobs lost, pledges support for affected community
Gippsland South MP Danny O’Brien says sudden AKD Yarram timber mill closure, costing 73 jobs, devastates the community, pledging support for affected families, workers, and local businesses during this crisis. - Drouin’s Commercial Place Stage 1 of the $1.1M project set to begin this to boost safety, accessibility and vibrancy
Stage 1 of the $1.1 million Drouin Commercial Place upgrade begins this week, improving safety, accessibility, footpaths, carparks, and pedestrian areas, with minimal disruption and partial parking available. - David Littleproud urges Australians to support local farmers amid rising imported food and supermarket pressures
Nationals Leader David Littleproud urges Australians to buy local food as farmers face soaring costs, supermarket pressures, and rising imports, warning inaction threatens food security and the future of Australian agriculture. - Danny O'Brien urges Gippslanders to donate early to Giving Trees and help bring Christmas joy to foster children
Gippslanders are encouraged to donate early to A Better Life for Foster Kids' Giving Trees, helping ensure every child in out-of-home care receives a Christmas gift this festive season. - West Gippsland CMA hosts free sustainable farming workshops with local landcare groups from September 2025 to March 2026
West Gippsland CMA is hosting free farm field days September - March, showcasing sustainable agriculture, carbon farming, and local expertise. Workshops cover soil health, biodiversity, biofertilizers, and agribusiness opportunities. - Gippsland showcases energy transition leadership to Australian Energy Infrastructure commissioner
Gippsland showcased its clean energy transition during Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Tony Mahar's three-day visit, highlighting coal, gas, wind, solar, storage, and community collaboration driving Victoria's evolving energy future. - West Gippsland CMA celebrates 25 years of sustainable irrigation, transforming Gippsland farms, saving water and protecting local waterways
West Gippsland CMA's Sustainable Irrigation Program celebrates 25 years, with 1,200 projects saving 47 gigalitres annually, enhancing farm productivity, protecting waterways, and expanding beyond the Macalister Irrigation District. - Darren Chester welcomes $2.7M investment in cutting-edge MRI technology at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service
A $2.7 million upgrade at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service includes Australia's first MRI unit of its kind, improving diagnosis accuracy, patient comfort, and access to affordable, high-quality local healthcare. - Nature positive farming field day, sustainable practices, carbon insights, and soil management at Malabar farm
Join Jenny and Paul O'Sullivan at Malabar Farm on 20 November 2025 for a free Nature Positive Farming field day, exploring sustainable practices, greenhouse gas estimation, soil carbon, and carbon farming benefits. - Darren Chester celebrates completion of $2M Swifts Creek Recreation Reserve redevelopment ahead of grand final
Darren Chester welcomed the $2 million Swifts Creek Recreation Reserve redevelopment, delivering modern facilities, improved amenities, and new courts, officially opening September 6 as the community hosts its first grand final in 25 years. - Bass Coast Council awards $1.01M contract to restore Wonthaggi heritage-listed old post office
Bass Coast Shire Council has awarded a $1.01 million contract to TS Constructions to restore Wonthaggi heritage-listed Old Post Office, preserving its historic character and ensuring long-term structural integrity. - Have your say on the 2027 transition to Pre-Prep and help shape early learning in South Gippsland
South Gippsland Shire Council is seeking feedback from parents and carers to help shape how the Victorian government's 2027 Pre-Prep program is delivered locally to meet community needs. - Bass Coast wins National AustStab Award for sustainable road recycling and innovative rehabilitation
Bass Coast Shire Council won the 2025 AustStab Award for Excellence for pioneering road recycling methods, cutting emissions by 85%, truck movements by 80%, and delivering faster, more sustainable, durable roads with less disruption.
|
|
