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The push continues to prevent the closure or outsourcing of the New South Wales Forests Nursery at Narrandera. The state government called for expressions of interest in taking over its forestry nurseries last year but the result remains in limbo. Source: ABC News

The nursery employs 15 people in full and part time positions.

The General Manager of Narrandera Shire Council Ray Pluis said the government is negotiating with a not for profit operator but council has had no news for a couple of months.

“It must be very worrying for the people who are employed there I’d imagine,” he said. “It’s not just a retail nursery providing retail, it’s an important fundamental nursery providing root stock for their own forests.

“And it’s very important to our community that we don’t suffer more job losses in order to help the government balance their books.

“We did meet with Mr Ross Dickson from Forestry a couple of months ago.

“He advised us that at that stage they were negotiating with a not for profit organisation in Victoria with a view to seeing if they could take over the ongoing and future operations of the nursery here in Narrandera.

“We haven’t heard anything back since that time.”