One of Western Australia's major forestry towns has lost a pivotal employer with the earlier-than-expected shutdown of the Greenbushes timber mill — a move that has caught workers off guard.
Queensland-based company Parkside last week announced the closure of its Greenbushes sawmill in WA's South West region — the first to officially close since the government announced a ban on native timber logging last September.
The workers' last day was set to be Friday, however the ABC understands the mill closed on Tuesday.
While Parkside did not respond to questions from the ABC, Forest Industry Federation of WA (FIFWA) president Ian Telfer spoke on its behalf, saying the decision to close early would give displaced workers the opportunity to access support services and apply to receive compensation payments.
"[The workers] will still be paid for this week on top of the redundancies, I think it is a great gesture [from Parkside]," he said.
Mr Telfer said the decision was not planned and the company did not anticipate the industry's closure when they invested in the region back in 2019.
"[Parkside has] made a significant investment of [around] $75 million in the South West over the last three years," he said.
Most workers happy with transition plan
Jim Brownlye, who has worked at the Greenbushes mill for the past two years, said he was eligible for a payout of around $32,000.
"Which is pretty good considering that I’ve only been there for two years," he said.
"Some of the boys have themselves sorted, so they are not stressing as much … But the older people, they’re going to find it hard to find work.
Following the announcement to end native timber logging by 2024, a deal between the state government and the Australian Workers Union was struck to support displaced workers.
The deal would offer one-off payments to workers based on how long they had been in the industry.
The workforce transition plan also included funds for workers to seek out extra training to assist them in finding work in a new industry.
A long-term worker could receive a total payout of up to $45,000.
State secretary of the Australian Workers' Union in WA Brad Gandy said even though closures were expected it didn't make it any less devastating for workers.
"The [compensation package] has been received in a positive view, but there are going to be some people who are still pretty annoyed, and I don't blame them.
"These are people who have been told that livelihoods aren't as they once thought they were going to be, and they should be supported wherever possible."
To change industries or remain?
State Forestry Minister Dave Kelly suggested displaced workers from the mill could likely find employment opportunities in mining.
He pointed to a recent mining jobs fair in the nearby town of Bridgetown as a line of inquiry.
"Companies like Talison Lithium, who are in Greenbushes, were at [the job fair] last week … they were looking for hundreds of workers," Mr Kelly said.
But local worker Shannon says moving to a new job is not as easy as it sounds.
"I'm not too sure what I'm going to do — I'm tying to rack my brains as to what I can and can't do," he said.
"I do have other skills, but it doesn't get rid of the nasty taste in your mouth."
Worker Jim Brownlye said he believed older workers would find the transition to mining more difficult.
"It’s a blow to the community," he said.
Mr Telfer said a number of operators in the timber sector had offered employment to workers who wished to remain in the industry.
"Certainly those workers at Parkside have probably worked in the timber industry for a very long time with various employers and a big issue will be that they're not interested or keen to rescale or retrain, they want to stay working, doing the job," he said.
