The Tumba Mill continues to call for government support to direct Australian saw logs destined for export to their Mill, in order to secure hundreds of jobs and help the Australian economy recover from bushfires and Covid-19.
Since the bushfires devastated our town and region, our local softwood sawmill and jobs are under threat and we are calling on the local community to show their support through TimberforTumba.
The Tumbarumba Mill is the biggest employer and the lifeblood of South West Slopes of New South Wales country town Tumbarumba, transforming a small village into a vibrant town upon development in 2001.
Family owned by 138-year-old Hyne Timber, the Mill employs more than 200 directly and supports literally hundreds and hundreds of jobs indirectly.
Employees and the community are deeply concerned regarding the future of the Mill following the devastating bushfires which decimated 40% of the Mill’s local plantation pine supply and the flow on impacts this will have to the town.
It is inevitable that, as a result of the fires, hundreds of jobs are at risk with significant supply chain disruption unless solutions can be found to the shortage of local log supply. The people most impacted have already had a devastating year due to impacts of the bushfires on their town and their personal lives.
The Mill has found a solution to save jobs, support the regional economy and supply of renewable, plantation pine timber by diverting some saw logs from export into the Mill, subject to Government support.
We need to find a way to transport the logs to the Mill because the logs are situated in other states and transport costs are the sticking factor.
We are not asking for a hand out; it is a hand up to support existing sovereign manufacturing in Australia, save jobs where they indeed can be saved and protect Australian supply chains.
Getting these extra logs to the Mill over the next three years will cost approximately $70 million. The Mill is able to fund just over $40 million themselves, but we need help to make up the remaining $30 million due to the additional haulage distance.
Currently, neither the NSW or Federal Government have a mechanism for supporting our cause because their grant programs don’t include transport costs.
The Tumbarumba Mill and surrounding community need the Government to open up avenues for industry led bushfire recovery solutions to be assessed where they make economic sense.
Help us to show the Government we have a plan and we need their help through the bushfire recovery program. Please support TimberforTumba!
Tumbarumba is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, about 480 kilometres southwest of the state capital, Sydney. Tumbarumba is located on the periphery of the Riverina and South West Slopes regions at the western edge of the Snowy Mountains.
Tumbarumba NSW is a small regional community where everyone sticks together. The devastation of the bush fires could severely impact jobs and people's livelihoods. See their stories and help us send a message to Australia that we need their help.
Help us use social media to show the government how important it is to save jobs in Tumbarumba.
Simply post a photo of you making a T-sign with your hands, tell people that you're posting a T to
support @TimberforTumba and type the hashtag in your post #TimberforTumba. This will allow us
to find your photo and share it to our page.
Help us tell the government you care about our community by sending them an email.
Use our template below, or update it to include your own words.
Show that your business, organisation, club or group cares about jobs in regional Australia
by sending us your logo to add to our logo wall, and show you care.
The Tumba Mill continues to call for government support to direct Australian saw logs destined for export to their Mill, in order to secure hundreds of jobs and help the Australian economy recover from bushfires and Covid-19.
Timber towns in southern New South Wales are racing against the clock to salvage trees killed in the destructive 2019/2020 Summer bushfires.
The funding covers 50% of the Tumbarumba Mill Optimisation Project cost, which will assist in reducing operating costs, gain efficiencies and most importantly, help retain 149 people in jobs in Tumbarumba.
Tumbarumba faces the frightening prospect of major job losses if the Timber Mill can't secure government funding to help transport feedstock plantation pine to the Mill over the next three years.