21 GEORGE STREET, MORWELL 3840
TELEPHONE 0351354444
WEDNESDAY, 7 DECEMBER, 2022
23
15
SHOWER OR TWO
$1 $1.80 80 iinc. GST
www.latrobevalleyexpress.ccom.au
18
SHOWER OR TWO
23
MOSTLY SUNNY
CLOUDY
photograph tom hayes
O’BRIEN ONE-ON-ONE PAGE 7
Living the dream
Moe footballer Bailey Humphrey and fellow Gippsland draftee Jacob Konstanty have begun their AFL journey. MORE - VALLEY SPORT
Fear for Opal jobs
Darren Chester 7 Member for Gippsland pp
Shopping Locally Creates Local Jobs www.darrenchester.com.au
Authorised by Darren Chester, The National Party of Australia, Level 13, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne.
white paper production comes from hardwood plantations and about third from native forest residues. However, native forest supply has reduced in recent years. The drop in native pulp logs is the result of action by the Supreme Court, which ruled that VicForests must carry out more effective surveys for endangered gilders before logging areas of native forests in Gippsland and the central highlands. VicForests has stopped timber harvesting until it can develop a survey method that complies with the court’s order, meaning a lack of pulp supply is continuing to affect Maryvale. “As a consequence, temporary stand downs or a reduction in working arrangements affecting a small number of work groups at the Maryvale Mill may become necessary,” the spokesperson said. “We are continuing to consult on this issue with our team members. Opal is also continuing to work through this situation with our customers.” The CFMEU manufacturing division is holding a mass meeting with its
reasons whyy yyou should install
Maryvale mill members on Tuesday evening, fearing workers will be looking at a bleak Christmas. The union is calling on the state and federal government to immediately intervene by changing the forestry code of practice to allow logging to restart as soon as possible. It is also calling on the government to facilitate a meeting between the union and Opal to identify long-term wood fibre access. CFMEU pulp and paper workers district secretary, Denise Campbell-Burns, said the lack of production would mean that Australia would rely on imported copy and white paper. “This is a massive backward step in terms of securing and rebuilding the Australian manufacturing sector and continues to undermine our sovereign capability,” Ms Campbell-Burns said. “Australia will be 100 per cent reliant on imports to service the white papers market if we don’t work together to implement a solution. “We need intervention now to secure these jobs – our members and their families cannot wait.”
Ultrrashutters Ultrashutters 1. Ultrashutters keep you ur whole home cool 2. Your home is protecte ed from the weather 3. Increase the security of your home 4. Ultrashutters block out 64% of outside noise
CLOSED: Thurs 22 Dec 2022
5 5. Eliminate condensation on your windows 6. Unbeatable 5 year warranty 7. Locally owned & operated
12 Short Street, Traralgon www.ultrashutters.com.au
PAGE 10
METEOR SHOWER VALLEY SPORT
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
NOW
& 1300 66 88 96
A Victorian government spokesperson said the government was “working with Opal to minimise any potential disruption to operations.” The state government has assured it is providing compensation to sawmills and contractors impacted by the Supreme Court ruling. It has a $200 million package to help timber communities to transition out of native forests by 2030 and has invested $120 million in a new plantation estate in Gippsland. But the federal Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester, called on the state Labor Party to “stand up and abandon their idiotic plans” to ban native timber harvesting in Victoria. “I have always advocated for government departments to use Australian made paper and support our national manufacturing and sustainable timber industry,” Mr Chester said. “As this is an evolving situation, I would expect government departments as well as Gippslanders to continue supporting the workers and using Australian-made paper where possible.”
ty Best Quali Best Price e Best Advis
RE-OPEN: Mon 9 Jan 2023 T hee te Th The team at a t Eur Eureka Eu ka wo ka w uld lld d likee to to ttha ha ank nkk ou ourr cusst s tto omer meer s for for or the their th irr sup ppor po t t h ouug thr th ughou hou ou t t hhee yea y ar.r.
Order no Or now an now and d sttar t your yo urr new w ye ea ar off off f with ha NEW SHED!
188 Argyle St Traralgon.
Garages & Sh G Sheds d PHONE: 5174 5311
GP1650194
OPAL Australian Paper is winding down white copy paper production at Maryvale from December 20, due to insufficient pulp log supplies, leaving 220 workers facing stand-downs into Christmas. An Opal spokesperson confirmed that the mill’s white paper production “may be potentially impacted” as from the third week of December. The decision could also lead to shortages in copy paper brands such as Reflex and in-house brands for Officeworks and Staples, affecting back-to-school and office supplies in January. “This is a challenging situation with the potential to create financial and production difficulties for Opal Australian Paper,” the Opal spokesperson said “Opal is investigating a number of alternative wood supply options however, unfortunately, to date, sufficient volumes are not available.” The spokesperson said the company would continue to inform stakeholders and its workers as the situation developed. About two-thirds of Opal’s timber for
GP1644873
By MICHELLE SLATER
50 YEARS FOR FED