Native timber logging in Victoria is set to grind to a halt by the end of the year, with the state government using today’s budget to bring forward the death of the industry. The state’s timber industry has been troubled for years, with bushfires, environmental no-logging zones and court decisions limiting the supply available to harvest every year. Today’s announcement accelerates plans announced in 2019 by the Andrews government to phase out native timber logging by 2030. Treasurer Tim Pallas has announced a more than $200 million transition package for the industry in today’s budget, and workers are being briefed this morning about the decision. The package brings total support for the sector to $875 million, including existing worker-support services and funding to transition to plantation timber.