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Workers at the Maryvale Paper Mill on Morwell's fringe fear for their jobs in the lead up to Christmas as increasing restrictions on VicForests' operations causes supply shortages.
Key points:
- Opal Australia's paper mill near Morwell could stand down 200 workers by Christmas
- The paper mill is expected to run out of hardwood by mid-December, stopping its white copy paper production completely
- Unions say court orders restricting VicForests' logging capabilities have created uncertainty for the Gippsland timber industry
This month the Supreme Court ordered stricter rules after it found the government agency failed to adequately protect the yellow-bellied glider and the endangered greater glider.
As timber industry workers and contractors protested on Friday, eucalypt branches, hard hats and reams of paper were placed on a coffin, symbolising the death of the timber industry.
The paper mill relies on a mixture of pine and hardwoods to manufacture paper, but needs hardwood to make white paper.
Opal Australia owns and runs the mill and said while no decisions on jobs had yet been made, they may be necessary.
"These are temporary measures that we may need to put into place while we work through the potential implications of a court decision that was delivered only 10 days ago," an Opal Australia spokesperson said.
"Unfortunately, limited stand downs may become necessary and we are currently consulting on this issue with our team members. No decisions will be made until the consultation is complete."
The paper mill is one of the Latrobe Valley's largest private employers, with about 800 workers earning between $80,000 and $100,000 each year.
Anthony Pavey is the mill's organiser for the manufacturing division of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union and told the ABC workers held grave concerns.
"People are scared heading into Christmas, and we're looking at stand downs initially," he said.
"If we can't sort the timber situation out it's possible job losses."
Mr Pavey said the hardwood supply processed through the company's biggest machine, which makes copy paper, would run out by mid December.
The union blames court orders requiring VicForests to undertake more rigorous surveying for gliders in logging coupes, create wider protection areas where gliders were located and maintain at least 60 per cent of basal area eucalypts in harvested areas inhabited by gliders.
"It's stopped the supply... it's dire... and it was avoidable," Mr Pavey said.