Manjimup Chamber of Commerce and Industry urges businesses to complete vital timber impact survey

Businesses are being urged to have their say on how the upcoming native logging ban will impact them and their operations. Manjimup Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Bevan Eatts has asked local organisations to complete a survey set up by the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA which aims to give an indication of how business owners will be affected after 2023 when the native timber industry closes. Mr Eatts said the survey was set up by the RCCIWA to allow regional chambers to get a grasp on how the native timber industry closure would affect areas like Manjimup. “The reason we have this survey is because the chambers around the South West were concerned there was no social and economic impact study done prior to the announcement of the timber industry closure,” he said. “Right now the State Government does not really have a handle on what the impact is going to be (post-2023).” Mr Eatts said in Manjimup “many businesses” relied on the timber industry including cafes, pubs and restaurants servicing the workers, businesses supplying and servicing the machines used by timber workers and transport companies shifting the logs. The chamber president said the survey was the only way the State Government would get a “true indication” of the damage the timber industry closure would have on the town and its people. “The responses from businesses would empower the chamber to go back to Government and say this is a true indication of what is going to happen,” he said. “This information is going to be presented to Government and it is going to mean something.” In September last year the State Government announced the closure of the native timber industry from 2023 as part of the new Forest Management Plan. The closure is expected to result in the loss of about 500 jobs, mostly in the South West region. However, the closure is also expected to save more than 400,000ha of native jarrah, karri and wandoo forest.