Forestry businesses across Eden-Monaro have received a total of $14,361,330 in Federal Government funding from the Forestry Recovery Development Fund Program.
Eden’s South East Fibre Exports will receive $2,249,679 to replace fire-damaged, aged and obsolete high-voltage infrastructure to ensure electricity supply to all parts of the site is reliable.
The Tumut-based operations of AKD NSW will receive $5,5 million to adopt the latest technology and equipment to ensure logs are cut more efficiently and effectively. The project will deliver an eight per cent increase in timber recovery, generating more timber from the scarce log resource.
Hyne & Son’s manufacturing plant in Tumbarumba will receive $3,508,474 to deliver better resource management practices through innovation, upgraded efficiencies and new technology to assist in offsetting an increase in manufacturing costs.
The VISY Industries Australia Tumut Mill will receive $3,103,177 to provide significant upgrades to various parts of of the mill to maintain and secure commercial mill operations in the future.
The successful grant applicants were announced by NSW Senator Jim Molan, who said the funding will safeguard the forestry industry in the region.
“These projects will assist the Eden-Monaro forestry industry to get back on its feet and secure forestry processing assets, while safeguarding and creating jobs in our forestry communities,” he said.
“The Eden-Monaro forestry industry has had a tough year with the bushfires and impacts of COVID-19. Projects will range from new infrastructure to enable resilience to future natural disasters, to product diversification to ensure sustainability.”