This year has been a horror show for workers in Victorian regional and rural timber communities and a strong warning to timber towns in other states – as hard-working, highly-skilled and productive Victorians and their families have suffered as the continuing alliance between anti-industrial ecoterrorists, The Victorian Greens and the State Labor Government has played directly into the obliteration of the 2030 transition.

As a result, the 1^st January 2024 end to Victorian native timber harvesting has precipitated emotional turmoil and uncertainty in our communities including anecdotal surges in relationship breakdown, substance abuse, problem gambling, domestic violence and other anti-social behaviours.

Salt in the wound quickly came in the form of celebrations of the demise of their livelihoods by extremist environmentalists – which included these fringe groups singing and dancing in the bush – loving the fact that our families would no longer be able to sustain themselves.

When, eventually the Jacinta Allan led government was dragged kicking and screaming to the table to talk –  our native timber contracting industry was presented with wholly inadequate and disrespectful compensation packages that do not even go close to resolving the plethora of issues they face –  and for those that are courageous enough to be a part of the detail-poor 5-year Forest and Fire Management Services Agreements the feeling among many is the devil will certainly be in the detail there as well.

Aside from the obvious flow on effects within our small communities who relied on this base industry to support land management, infrastructure, employment and training – our sector now has a large cohort of Harvest, Haulage and Mill Workers currently in the process of receiving lump-sum redundancy packages through the Victorian Forestry Worker Support Program – delivered by Forestworks and funded by the Victorian Government’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Unfortunately, in addition to all the issues above – workers who have received or are eligible to receive a redundancy are now expected to be slugged with major tax bills.

For example, a 40-year veteran of the industry from the East Gippsland region has been in the industry for 30 years and has worked in a number of different timber processing organisations. He was entitled to a fully capped redundancy payment of $150,000, plus another $50,000 for the years that he has worked. He now faces a tax bill of $56,000, which equates to 28 per cent tax.

When asked about the redundancy packages Nigel Martin – Victorian Sawmilling Operations Manager of Parkside – Timber Division (a major milling concern Australia-wide) was scathing in his remarks – “It is grossly unfair that staff have been made redundant due to a State Government decision and then stand to be taxed anywhere from 17-30% of their payout amount – and then for those that choose to work another job – they stand to pay 49% tax rate on any further earnings after the redundancy – it just doesn’t make sense”.

These hardworking Victorians (whom Labor is meant to represent) are now faced with the loss of their livelihoods and potentially the need to move away from their communities to find work.In an effort to find a solution to the problem – The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region Melina Bath was quick to pressure recently the Victorian Treasurer to work with the Commonwealth Treasurer to deliver a fairer tax regime on employee redundancy payments.

“I ask the Treasurer to have sympathy for the hardworking Victorians who through no fault of their own now face an uncertain future and potentially displacement from their communities – and I ask you to collaborate with your Commonwealth equivalent to find a solution to ensure that these good people are not further punished”.

Aside from the great work of Melina Bath MP – recently I wrote to Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers to take action on this important issue – seeking for the Federal Government to work with timber workers and the Victorian State Labor government to find a solution that ensures hard-working people are not further punished by the decision to permanently close our sustainable, renewable industry.

While this year has been most difficult for many involved in the Victorian industry and in our beloved timber communities – the fighting spirit remains – as does the desire to produce much needed timber products that our communities and country needs.

This process could be repeated elsewhere in Australia unless we stand ready to bring our sustainable, renewable, carbon-storing brilliance to the world. We must as they say – have both conviction and courage – to stand against the ill-informed activists and inner-city ideologs that seek to destroy that which we hold dear.

Have a Safe and Merry Christmas – and please support each other through these times.

 

ENDS

FWCA executive officer Michael Harrington;

m.harrington@fwca.org.au