The first half of 2024 marked a challenging period for Broadford-raised arborist Brendon Clark and his young family, when the State Government made a shocking decision to close the timber industry six years before its projected 2030 closure.
The announcement was made in last year’s State Budget after the Supreme Court released a Landmark decision stating that logging agency VicForests had broken the law by failing to protect endangered species.
For some workers, the closure was a sign off to their business. But for Mr Clark, the date was a reminder of the Government’s disregard for his line of work, and the environmental benefits delivered by the industry.
Mr Clark has been in the field for more than 20 years, working as a seed collector.
In his years of work, Mr Clark asserted he had never felled a tree for VicForests for timber production. His focus was on preserving one of the key species he worked with—the Alpine Ash—through one of Victoria’s largest conservation efforts.
A few years prior to the closure, Mr Clark and other workers were encouraged to participate in the State Government’s Forestry Transition Program, a program designed to support communities and employees affected by changes in the timber industry.
However, midway through the program, the decline of the timber industry left Mr Clark’s transition shrouded in uncertainty, and with minimal support from the Government and no strong union to fall back on, his small family-run business faced a dire and uncertain financial future.
After making several calls to the Premier’s office and Members of Parliament to voice his concerns on behalf of the industry, Mr Clark was informed to check the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) website for compensation packages.
But what appeared to be a straightforward solution quickly became a series of hurdles.
Mr Clark found himself facing ‘nothing but obstacles’ in accessing the compensation. His contracts were claimed to not be covered under Government guidelines, despite being reliant on VicForests contracts that he had maintained since 2007.
“We’ve taken about $80,000 worth of equity out of my home to keep my business afloat,” he said.
“The main issue is that the State Government kept insisting, ‘you’re entitled to the transition program.’ I was halfway through, but they weren’t providing the necessary funds, which left me unable to apply for grants due to my business being insolvent.”
But after months of advocacy, in July this year, Mr Clark finally received promising news that he could now apply for the Forestry Business Support Package, which had expanded to include businesses affected by the native transition.
While the approval was a highlight for Mr Clark, the stress of nearly losing his home and business lingered, and he urged the State Government to improve their processes and reconsider their perspective on the industry as it faced its closing chapter.
“The package means I can nearly complete my program now, but it’s disheartening that I had to take such significant risks to save my business,” he said.
“The only reason we saw any changes was that workers began to voice their desperation. Before shutting down an industry, they should consider the broader consequences.”
Mr Clark expressed concern for the environment in a future without a timber industry, envisioning a scenario where the city relies on desalinated seawater as bushfire ash contaminates Melbourne’s water supply.
“As we approach the new year, we must contemplate the future of Victoria’s magnificent Alpine national parks without the timber industry,” he said.
“Our government officials may stand on the steps of Parliament, ash falling around them, attributing it all to climate change, but they must realise this is only part of the narrative regarding why our Alpine forests are burning.”
To read Mr Clark’s full statement, visit www.clarkgen.com.au.
