Australasia's home for timber news and information

Continuing CFMEU protests in South Australia

About 40 timber workers concerned that they are to lose their jobs disrupted a South Australian government economic forum at Mount Gambier in the state’s southeast. The focus of the forum was food, wine and advanced manufacturing. Source: Ninemsn, ABC South East SA

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) spokesman Coates said the workers locked themselves into the event in Mount Gambier’s old town hall before being removed by police.

No arrests were made and the workers joined a protest involving about 200 of their colleagues outside.

Premier Jay Weatherill announced the holding of the event whose main aim was to diversify the region’s economy.

Local government, senior representatives from state government and a broad spectrum of industry representatives attended the forum. They discussed ways to develop a strategic approach for the region that diversifies the economy and adds value to its natural resources.

These discussions included agriculture, viticulture and forestry as well as other sectors but the stated focus areas did not include forestry.

Mr Coates said it was hypocritical to hold an economic forum in Mount Gambier at a time when the local timber industry was under threat.

Outcomes from the forum will be drafted in a report for the state government with a focus on premium food and wine and advanced manufacturing.

“One of the points that came out was that the research and development capacity in the forest and forest products industry in Australia has significantly reduced over the last five to 10 years, including in places like CSIRO.

“When you lose some of that research drive in a country you then have to go and identify where those opportunities and outcomes are and partner with organisations elsewhere to get some of these things off the ground,” said Denis Mutton chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Council, who was a guest speaker at the forum.