About 13,000 tonnes of stockpiled red gum timber in the Murray Valley National Park will be available to industry and the community this winter, Member for Murray Austin Evans said today.
The stockpile consists of red gums that have been thinned for environmental purposes.
“As the local community knows, more than 100,000 hectares of Riverina State Forests were locked up by the previous Labor Government in 2010,” Mr Evans said.
“This timber stockpile will be put to good use among the local community and the timber industry with clear management plans now in place,” he said.
“This is a common sense outcome that will ensure the timber from thinning work in these parks doesn’t go to waste.”
Minister for Lands and Forestry Paul Toole said the timber stockpile includes a range of logs with potential commercial use including sawlogs as well as household firewood.
“The community will be able to more readily access some of the timber for firewood, which will be made available through the local sawmills,” Mr Toole said.
“In addition, a further two areas within the Murray Valley National Park will be made available for collection of firewood during autumn and winter of this year.”
Once the community firewood is distributed, the remaining timber will be allocated equally between nine local business entities.
Forestry Corporation will manage the stockpile under an agreement with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.