Victoria ends logging, now uses another state's native forests

Two years after Victoria banned logging in its public native forests, its sawmills are reportedly turning to Tasmania for supply, an investigation has revealed. Trucks carrying logs from Tasmania's public forests have been observed arriving at Victorian sawmills, including one in the Yarra Valley, despite assurances from the Tasmanian government that logs from its public forests do not leave the island for interstate processing.

An investigation by Four Corners followed a truck loaded with Tasmanian logs from Melbourne Port to a sawmill in Powelltown, a former logging town in the Yarra Valley. At the mill, many logs were marked with stickers indicating they originated from Tasmanian state forests. This practice raises questions about the supply chain and the effectiveness of regulations designed to keep Tasmanian timber within the state for local processing.

Environmentalists Paul O'Halloran and Patrick Johnson have spent hundreds of hours monitoring the Devonport ferry terminal in Tasmania, observing what they believe to be a significant increase in log exports since Victoria's native forest logging ban was announced in 2023. They contend that while the Tasmanian government states the trucks are carrying logs from privately owned forests, they believe some must originate from public forests.

O'Halloran expressed strong concern, stating, "Tasmanian native forests are already unsustainably logged, and this is just putting more and more pressure on them." The Tasmanian government maintains its logging industry is highly regulated and aims to support economic growth. However, the ongoing reliance on timber from neighboring states, particularly after implementing domestic bans, highlights complex environmental and economic challenges.

“

Tasmanian native forests are already unsustainably logged, and this is just putting more and more pressure on [them].