Dear Editor,
Jobs and businesses in Victoria’s $7.32 billion timber industry are being destroyed by a
campaign of misinformation that’s not based on fact.
There’s growing evidence in support of the sector’s responsible, sustainable reputation.
This includes a recent study from University of Melbourne researchers that found bushfire –
not timber harvesting – is the biggest threat to Leadbeater’s possum populations.
According to the study, “timber harvesting reduced (the possum’s) suitable habitat by only 1.4
per cent to 2.3 per cent over 250 years compared to scenarios without harvesting”.
It also found less than half the area of existing parks, reserves, and timber harvest exclusion
zones provided stable long-term habitat for the possum over the next century.
The malicious campaign against Victoria’s timber industry, supported by the Andrews Labor
Government’s decision to ban the native timber industry by 2030, has put hundreds of hardworking
Victorians out of work.
The Nationals stand side-by-side with our timber workers and businesses in Gippsland and
north-east Victoria. We will keep fighting for a secure future for your jobs and livelihoods.
Peter Walsh
Shadow Minister for Agriculture
Leader of The Nationals