Murrindindi Shire Councillors committed a most extraordinary act at their May meeting at Yea this year.
With little prior public consultation, and listening primarily to one side of the issue, Councillors voted with some haste to adopt a policy that supports the phasing out of native timber harvesting throughout the Shire.
Council staff member Stuart McConnell, General Manager – Infrastructure and Development Services, noted at the time: “Council has met with VicForests, environmental stakeholders, other businesses and local landholders.
“No consultation was undertaken specifically in preparation of the draft statement,” Mr McConnell said.
The ‘Central Highlands’ statement, adopted that night at its 2¾-hour meeting, called on the Victorian State Government to “phase out current native timber harvesting activities in the Central Highlands forests within the Murrindindi Shire, and in particular to cease harvesting in the Rubicon Valley”.
Council observers say that people such as Rubicon Valley Horse Riding proprietor Ken Deacon, an opponent to timber harvesting in the area, have been particularly influential on the Council’s viewpoint
In a video interview at Echo
active.com, Mr Deacon talks of the effect that clear-fell logging has on his horse riding business. He is a proponent of the Great Forest National Park, being promoted by Friends of the Earth.
The subject of native timber harvesting was raised at last week’s meeting of the Alexandra Traders and Tourism, including input from ex-Murrindindi Shire Mayor, Cr Margaret Rae.
Cr Rae has been criticised for her views against native timber harvesting through Murrindindi Shire. Sim-ilarly, other Councillors – few of who have a long-time association with the municipality – are being criticised for failing to understand the importance that the timber industry has within the Shire, in the past and present.
An example is Dindi Sawmill, run since 2009 by Robin and Sue McKinnell. They employ 18 workers, with each family spending their income locally.
The industry also involves other contractors providing transport, fuel, machinery and other supplies.
Mrs McKinnell and Murrindindi Shire business heavyweights are expected to provide a 30-minute briefing for Council staff and Councillors today (Wed.) at a 4pm meeting to be held at the Shire chambers.
Mike Dalmau, Chair of Murrin-dindi Inc., is due to present a business case supporting the ongoing operation of the timber industry in the Shire.
Andrew Embling, President of Alexandra Traders and Tourism, says a number of timber industry heavy vehicles will be in Alexandra this afternoon (Wed.) to remind Councillors of the ongoing role that the timber industry still plays in the Murrindindi economy.
Also behind the push for Coun-cil to withdraw its support for the ‘Central Highlands Statement’ is prominent regional fuel distributor, Gordon Simpson.
Council and its Councillors would be foolish to ignore the input from these influential business people, Shire observers say.
Alexandra, Yea, Murrindindi and Toolangi communities were built, in part, on the timber industry.
Historian Norm Houghton, who authored Timber Mountain: A Sawmilling History of Murrindindi Forest 185-1950, notes that the timber resourcing has taken place since the 1890s.
Yea and Healesville “acted as the focal points of the timber industry by supplying capital, labour and transport services”, Mr Houghton wrote in 1986.
The timber industry has harvested mountain ash, messmate, grey gumand white gum on the hill slopes, and blackwood, beech, sassafras, silver wattle and musk came from the valleys.
Yea sawmillers operated out of the Cheviot railway station, near the historic tunnel towards Molesworth.
Output from the Murrindindi forest peaked during the early 1920s and 1940s.
The importance of sawmills to Alexandra and region was highlighted at last week’s Traders meeting.
Gould Sawmills had an annual log intake of 40,000 cubic metres, It was taken over by ITC in 2006.
The firm, founded by Lloyd Gould, employed up to 80 people.
Of the Yea industry, historian Norm Houghton commented: “The prosperity of the Yea district was dependent on a number of rural industries such as wool, meat and dairying, that gained ready acceptance of local wealth.
“The timber industry was of equal importance since after 1900, but tended to be ignored because its presence was not obvious – being centred many miles from the town.
“An industry of this size provided employment to many Yea families, with many benefits to the community,” Mr Houghton said.
He records the earliest sawmill operators as:
• John Foran from 1889, succeeded by Charles Dunning, at the head of Limestone Creek.
• Vining Family, at Cheviot-Limestone.
• David Wightman, whose company became North East Sawmill Co., later Jackson’s.
• Jim McKenzie of Limestone.
• Cheviot Sawmill Co., operated by G.W. Knott of Melbourne, with Michael Byrne of Yea.
• Garner Bros. (Jim and James) of Cheviot.
• Tratford and Henneberry, with their first mill at the Yea railway yard in 1916, then Molesworth, then at the Ault Beeac Creek at Murrindindi. They trook over the David and Reichter originally on the Murrin-dindi River near the ‘S’ Creek junction.
• Byrne and Gracey (Jack Byrne and Herbert ‘Joe’ Gracey) at Wood-bourne, with a plant at Horseyard Creek, near Mt Despair. Steve Murray later went into partnership with Jack Byrne after Joe Gracey retired.
• Melbourne Salvage Pty Ltd Sawmill with major Melbourne sawmillers including William Angliss and H.V. McKay.
• Murrindindi Sawmill Co., associated with John Tosh and A. Hickingbotham.
• Mohican Sawmill Co., managed by Messrs. Webb and Garlick Bros.
• Erica Hardwood Sawmill Co.
• Crystal Creek Sawmill Co. managed by John Dunlop.
• Hauser Mill, Murrindindi, succeeded by Simon.
As the matter again comes before Council, the State Government has purchased the Heyfield mill.
“The Andrews’s government purchase of the ailing Heyfield timber mill should now complete the transition out of native forests into plantations,” said environment group Friends of the Earth.
“The purchase of the mill gives the government an opportunity to decisively act to protect forests and prevent the extinction of endangered wildlife.
“The next step is to urgently complete the transition of the logging industry out of native forests and into plantations and create the Great Forest National Park,” said Friends of the Earth campaigner Ed Hill.
“A recent study by the Australian National University shows the economic value of the Central Highlands forests, where the Heyfield mill’s wood comes from, is immense.
“The forests within the proposed Great Forest National Park add $310 million of economic value to the state’s water supply and $260 million to tourism, while the unsustainable native logging industry is worth just $12 million.
“If Labor fully understood the value of these forests for water, tourism, biodiversity and carbon storage the last thing they would do is spend tens of millions of taxpayers’ money on buying an unsustainable native forest timber mill.
“The Heyfield timber mill processes wood from Mountain Ash forests listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation and Nature.
“Labor will now log the endangered timber, sell the endangered timber and process the endangered timber,” said Mr Hill.

Central Highlands Statement
adopted by M’dindi Council

Murrindindi Council adopted the ‘Central Highlands Statement’ at its May 2017 meeting:
“Murrindindi Shire Council is concerned about the impact of current timber harvesting on the landscape, biodiversity and a range of other current and future uses of Victoria’s Central Highlands forests, particularly in the Rubicon Valley.
“The Council is also concerned about the future of businesses in the Murrindindi Shire that rely on timber harvesting – an industry in transition.
“Following Murrindindi Shire Council’s ‘Have Your Say’ survey, we know preserving the natural environment of Murrindindi Shire and supporting our economy are top priorities for our communities.
“The Council calls on the Victorian Government to:
• Phase out current native timber harvesting activities in the Central Highlands forests within the Murrindindi Shire, and in particular to cease harvesting in the Rubicon Valley pending resolution of the best approach for the future protection and use of these unique areas; and
• Invest now to assist in industry transition and ensure that communities reliant on timber harvesting can continue to be part of a thriving economy in the future, including transition to alternative, plantation-base timber supply.
“The Victorian Government made an election commitment to establish an Industry Taskforce to provide leadership on the future issues facing the forest industry, and protection of our unique native flora and fauna. There is a lack of clarity about when or if this process will deliver a clear direction for the future of forest management.
“It is only appropriate that the continued harvesting in the Central Highlands Forests, and particularly current substantial harvesting underway in the Rubicon Valley, cease until a clear future direction for forest management is established.
“Council is also opposed to any harvesting in old growth forest and urges the Victorian Government to act quickly to preserve these forests.
“The timber harvesting and processing sector is in transition and no more so than in Murrindindi Shire.
“Following the 2009 fires, the available timber resources will not support continued harvesting at the level and using the approaches employed historically.
“Murrindindi Shire Council recognises concerns that continuing to do so is causing damage to our environment. It is also undermining the range of uses of our forests that underpin the economy of the Murrindindi Shire and limiting possible alternative uses of the forests, including for tourism and recreation purposes.
“The last 10 years that has seen a major reduction in the number of timber processing facilities operating in Murrindindi Shire with a commensurate reduction in employment in the sector.
“While Council continues to support local businesses involved in timber processing, saw logs are largely transported out of Murrindindi Shire for processing.
“As a result, Murrindindi Shire communities bear the adverse impacts of harvesting activities (for example, impacts on roads and other uses of state forests, visual impacts on the landscape) but do not share
fairly in the economic returns.
“While change is occurring, currently the timber industry and associated businesses continue to be important employers in Murrindindi Shire.
“Timber resources in the region are limited and continued harvesting at current levels will see these exhausted in coming years.
“Investing in a new, sustainable future for this region is critical, including a transition to plantation-based timber supply.
“Now is the time for the Victorian Government to invest in the necessary transition for this sector, rather than waiting for changes in the sector to impact adversely on local communities before acting.
“Further delays will also negatively impact on future options involving alternative forest uses which could assist with this transition and help
bolster the local economy.
“Murrindindi Shire Council stands ready to work together in partnership with a Victorian Government that is ready to invest in a prosperous, vibrant and sustainable region.
“Local government has been excluded to date from the process for determining the future management of the Central Highlands forests. This is unacceptable.
“Murrindindi Shire Council looks forward to a positive response to its continued efforts to meet to discuss these issues with Victorian Government ministers to advance this critical issue for the future economic prosperity of the Shire.”