Timber workers on the South Coast say their livelihoods are at risk, as conservationists continue to fight for the end of native forest logging.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Like many young couples, Tuross Head resident, Ben Nunn and his partner made the move down to the South Coast to give their future kids the opportunity to grow up in a beautiful environment by the beach.
An ex-chef, Mr Nunn used to work long hours, face casual and insecure work, and found he was missing special milestones with his family. His arrival in Tuross Head opened the door to a new career.
READ MORE:
"I was lucky to get a permanent job with secure conditions at a local timber mill," he said.
"After working at the mill for a number of years I was then also able to complete an adult apprenticeship.
"The difference between the two jobs is life-changing. It was the difference between being able to buy a house and have a stable place to raise our four kids."
However, Mr Nunn is fearful of the impact the increasing calls to stop logging in NSW is having on his industry and the region.
"My worry is though, that some people think it is okay to replace good jobs like mine with casual jobs," he said.
"I want my kids and all kids on the coast to have the chance to work in a good job, earn a trade, or complete university locally.
"Our towns won't survive if the only good jobs are in Sydney."
Mr Nunn believes one way to secure jobs in the logging industry is to increase timber supply.
"Overall we need governments to stop making decisions about our jobs without sitting down and really listening to workers and employers, particularly for industries like mine that are biggest in the regions," he said.
"We are sick of hearing about changes to our jobs from the radio in Sydney."
The impacts of decisions
The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) is hoping to shine a spotlight on the impacts that moves to end timber harvesting in NSW forests is having on the industry's workers.
"We think that too often the impacts of the decisions that have been made are considered not in terms of the people and the families that they impact, but in terms of broad, sweeping statements that don't capture the full nuance of what is at stake," said CFMEU NSW Secretary of the Manufacturing Division, Alison Rudman.
"Sustainable forestry has been practised in NSW for a number of generations and what we're seeing right now are some proposals that don't have attached to them any acknowledgement of the jobs or livelihoods at stake.
"Our concern is that in these towns, where timber is a really major employer, families like Ben's, are going to miss out on a stable future."
Ms Rudman said it was important to acknowledge that only parts of the community are calling for the end of timber harvesting, with other parts "very clear" that they want to see these sustainable jobs continue.
"For people like Ben and his family, it's obviously an incredibly stressful time," she said. "And it's a time when they feel that too often their voice is missing from these discussions.
"I think that what we need to do is make sure that we're being very, very clear on what's at stake with each of the positions being put.
"Then what we need to do is actually be working to make sure that we're managing these forests in a way that ensures the triple bottom line sustainability. Which is environmental sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability."
Logging affects the wider community
The Brooman State Forest Conservation Group was formed following the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires with the purpose of campaigning against logging.
Group co-founder, Takesa Frank, said logging any old growth forest has a big effect on the environment.
"We're seeing endangered and threatened species at the moment, their habitats getting cut down," she said.
She identified hollow-bearing trees as a particular concern. These types of trees take 80-120 years to form and are the habitats of many endangered species, including Greater Gliders, and different types of birds and owls.
She said the importance of maintaining these tress can't be understated, with 80 per cent of the forests in the region burnt by bushfires in recent years.
"It's so important that we protect the areas that weren't burnt or protect the areas that are slowly coming back from the bushfires," she added.
In terms of social impacts, Ms Frank said the community watched as much of their forests burned in 2019/20, despite trying to protect their homes and the bushland around them.
"Then less than three months after the bushfires, [Forestry Corporation of NSW] come back into these forests and started logging," she said.
"It had a big effect on the mental well being of the local community members.
"And now we're coming back into a very dry summer ... there's a lot of anxiety in the community about bushfires and the risk of bushfires."
Ms Frank said logging native forests puts the region at at a greater risk of bushfires.
"One, because of when they log, they only take the trunk so all of the branches and leaves and that debris is left on the forest floor," she said. "Which basically is drying out and waiting for a bushfire to come through.
"We also know that older forests are less likely to burn and so if we have more old forests, then we're going to be less impacted from bushfires."
When it came to the question of the future of local timber workers and their families, Ms Frank claimed many of them were not local workers.
"If we're talking about the contractors that are in these forests, they are not local workers," she said. "A lot of them have come up from Victoria. They're basically move around workers following forests that log.
"If you go into a forest - an active compartment - there's a minimum of three to five workers in a compartment. So, it's actually a really small percentage of jobs.
"If we compare that to the jobs of tourism and ecotourism - which is obviously a really important industry on the South Coast - there's so many more jobs and work in that industry than destroying our environment."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark our website
- Follow us on Facebook
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters