Owner Greg McNulty said at this stage he was able to maintain his current workforce, however, with the mill receiving a reduced volume of timber, the situation was not sustainable.
‘‘We won’t get our whole volume in this year. We will be down about 15 per cent,’’ Mr McNulty said.
‘‘To keep everything going we need to get 100 per cent of our volume in.
‘‘If we can get the Timber Release Plan done we can get back to business with some certainty around what we’re doing.
‘‘If we don’t get a resolution fairly soon, we will have to look at staffing levels.
‘‘The end of this logging season comes up soon and the next one starts in September, so we need to get some certainty around it or it will affect hundreds of people working in mills across the state.’’
Member for Euroa Steph Ryan visited the mill with Nationals leader Peter Walsh 12 months ago to discuss issues around timber supply, and said she could not believe the issues had not been addressed.
‘‘The government has refused to sign off on Timber Release Plans, which give timber mills access to sawlogs,’’ Ms Ryan said.
‘‘They were supposed to be signed last July.
‘‘We have put questions to the Premier in Parliament, (but) there’s a feeling within industry that the government doesn’t want the bad media attention of shutting the industry down, so instead it has just decided to starve them out.’’
Mr Walsh agrees and has released comments this week savaging the state government over the situation.
‘‘When Daniel Andrews claimed at a union rally in Melbourne (on April 18) that workers should get ‘a fair go’ he clearly didn’t mean all workers,’’ Mr Walsh said.
‘‘After all, Daniel Andrews’ stealth campaign to destroy Victoria’s $7.32 billion timber industry is threatening tens of thousands of jobs across East Gippsland and north east Victoria.
‘‘Vital Timber Release Plans, which lay out the timber that’s available to industry are now 10 months overdue, but the Andrews Labor Government continues to delay.
‘‘Daniel Andrews is putting at risk the jobs of timber workers who rely on the industry to put food on the table and send the kids to school.
‘‘Contractors and timber harvesters who have invested millions in equipment are watching it sit idle in the yards because they don’t know what timber’s available to industry.
‘‘Daniel Andrews’ hypocritical claim of ‘a fair go’ for all clearly doesn’t apply to the 70000 direct and in-direct jobs that his Labor Government’s city-centric policies are poised to destroy.’’
The Victorian Association of Forest Industries (VAFI) has also been vocal on the situation and accuses the state government of ‘‘bureaucratic and administrative bungling’’.
Victorian Association of Forest Industries chief executive officer Tim Johnston said with confirmation that VicForest was unable to proceed with an amendment to the Timber Release Plan (TRP) in the near future, the results were likely to be devastating for the sector and would have major flow-on effects for regional Victoria.
‘‘VicForests, at the direction of the government, is unable to amend the TRP and has been unable to finalise an amendment to the Allocation Order,’’ Mr Johnson said.
‘‘This means that, while timber is available, government inaction has put a stop to small family companies in rural communities going about their business of employing people and providing valuable economic contribution.
‘‘Without these amendments the native hardwood timber industry is experiencing uncertainty, unnecessary financial pressure and frustration.
‘‘At the end of the day, peoples’ livelihoods are at stake all because of government inaction.’’
The state government has been contacted for comment, however, at the time of going to print no response had been received.