Ricky Muir

THE words “native timber industry” should not be words frowned upon, yet with relentless misinformation campaigns, outright lies and targeting of voters in the inner city, it seems they are. The irony is that if we were to stop all native timber harvesting in Australia today, harvesting which is done at world’s best practice standards, we would simply pass on native timber harvesting to other countries and end up buying products harvested under less-restricted guidelines. The real words that are a threat to our forests, wildlife, rural and regional communities, industries and hobbies supported by our vast state forests, are “Green ideology”. The State Government’s Great Forest National Park proposal is more than just a threat to Victoria’s well regulated, sustainable timber industry. It is a threat to regional communities and outdoors recreation.