Jurriën timber
After 58 years of business, Walker’s timber mill in Corryong, in Victoria’s north east, will soon be powering down for the last time.
The closure follows the state government’s decision to bring forward the end of native timber harvesting by January 1, 2024 in order to better protect the environment and the native wildlife that depends on it.
North-east Victorian resident Gary Williams has worked at the local timber sawmill for 42 years, following in the footsteps of his father.
“I grew up here as a kid around the mill. My father started here in the 1970s so I guess I’ve been around here for a long time,” Mr Williams said.
Like Mr Williams, co-worker David Crane also grew up around the timber industry.
“Been around the timber industry, which was related to my father’s work, since I was 10 and I’m 61 now,” Mr Crane said.
“I enjoy Corryong; raised my two girls up here. My wife and I have a good relationship with the community, and it’s sad to see the mill is going.”
Replacement industry needed
The mill predominantly makes timber pallets and will continue to operate until it runs out of wood, which is expected to be before the end of the year.
Its 21 workers will receive redundancies from the Victorian government, however Mr Crane said the community will lose more than jobs.
“I feel for the young people in Corryong. They are the ones that need to have a future and there is no future without industry,” Mr Crane said.
“I think the whole future of small communities is being pushed to the brink and moved to the cities. You can’t move a country bumpkin to the city.
“Sadly, I see the town going backwards.”
Long history in the Upper Murray
Owner of Walker’s Sawmill, Graham Walker, took over management from his father Max Walker in 2017 when Mr Walker senior, aged 94, became too ill to continue.
“The sawmill was originally started by my grandfather around Yackandandah. They would go and cut the timber for a house or a shearing shed and then move to the next farm and do the same there,” Mr Walker said.
“In 1938 they moved to Shelley, and eventually they set up a sawmill which was there until 1965 when the pine plantation was taking over.
“The operation was moved to Corryong, and Dad began the transition of taking the saw logs left in the forest and cutting them for pallet timber.
“We’ve been supplying the one national company for 58 years with pallets and timber.”
In May, Mr Walker announced to his employees the decision to hand back their licence and close the mill by the end of the year.
“We needed to make the decision because if we continued our employees wouldn’t get a redundancy from the government,” he said.
“Sadly, this situation should never have occurred. The forests are sustainable and there’s plenty of future there.”
Life after the mill
Corryong is considered one of Victoria’s most isolated towns, with a population of approximately 1,400. The town is 120 kilometres from Albury and Wodonga.
The area’s main industry is agriculture, consisting of predominantly dairy and beef farms.
Mr Williams said he will take whatever work he can find.
“I’ll probably have to re-educated, but I’ve got another seven years until retirement,” he said.
“I have a son who is working here, and it’s going to be harder for the younger generation.
“There’s not a great deal of work around here unless you’re into farming.”
Mr Crane said since the news of closure the mood has been low around the mill and the town.
“It’s very sombre here. Everyone is down.”
“We’ve got people coming from the health services to help out with wellbeing. You can’t say ‘go get another job’, it’s not that easy.
“Hopefully we’ll all get through it, everybody has disasters.
“This is our fourth year of disasters. We’ve had our bushfires and now our industry is closed.”