Australia’s last white paper manufacturing plant will be axed over a scarcity of wood stemming from an ongoing court battle. Opal Australian Paper will withdraw from producing graphic paper at its Maryvale mill in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, sparking 200 job losses. White paper production at the mill was impacted in December after state-owned supplier VicForests was ordered to scale back harvesting in parts of Victoria. “The company and Opal has been considering alternative wood supplies in order to continue graphic paper operations,” Opal’s Japanese parent company Nippon said in a withdrawal notice. “But has concluded that alternative procurement is not feasible and has decided to discontinue the graphic paper business at the MV Mill.” The Victorian Supreme Court found VicForests failed to adequately survey logging coupes for two protected possum species, in a decision it is appealing.

Additional coverage in the Sydney Morning Herald, by Miki Perkins and Royce Millar: Logging future uncertain as Japanese giant Nippon closes Australia’s last white paper plant