Timber mills across South Australia will fire back up after the state government decided to include forestry as an essential service. The billion-dollar industry was forced to shut down for about 24 hours after it was left off the list of essential services released yesterday. It was a significant blow for the industry, which has been working to address the national shortage of structural timber available to the construction sector. Key stakeholders worked around the clock to seek clarity on the issue, which was eventually provided by SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens at a press conference this morning. The uncertainty also left thousands of forestry workers in limbo amid the state’s seven-day snap lockdown. …But the delay did come at a cost. Green Triangle union official Brad Coates said the lack of clarity from the outset caused “massive disruption” to the industry.