Nimmitabel Timber Industry

Mr COCHRAN (Monaro) [5.45]: I draw to the attention of honourable members the village of Nimmitabel, a small village located about 25 kilometres south of Cooma. I do so as a result of a recent meeting with residents in the Nimmitabel Action Group, known otherwise as NAG. A few nights ago they expressed to me some very grave concerns which I shall relate to the House. I ask the Minister for State Development and Minister for Tourism, who is at the table, to pass on to the Minister for Conservation and Land Management the concerns of the residents of Nimmitabel and surrounding districts for the future not only of the rural sector but also of the timber industry. I am pleased to see that the honourable member for Northern Tablelands is in the Speaker's chair. I am sure that you, Mr Acting-Speaker, will understand the problems in the timber industry at the moment.

A twofold problem affects the village of Nimmitabel - the depth of the rural recession and the temporary closure of a timber mill at Nimmitabel which is almost 100
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years old. The mill has closed not as a result of a lack of resources or any other matters relating to normal disputes in the southeast forest, but because the markets in both Sydney and Melbourne have dried up. There is insufficient demand in the building industry to meet the output of that mill. Regrettably, I can also report to the House that the Bombala sawmill has operating only one bench out of four. This means that employment opportunities for residents of both Bombala and Nimmitabel have been drastically affected. A number of issues were raised by the Nimmitabel Action Group. One was the great deal of trouble residents experience in maintaining student numbers in their school. The opportunities for employment having diminished, the township is in a position where student numbers in the school are likely to be reduced. Similarly, residents have a water supply which is under investigation at the moment. They are fearful that the proposed water supply, which is to be constructed by the Public Works Department, will be far too expensive for the remaining residents of Nimmitabel.

A number of matters in the rural industry can be addressed. The Federal Government can assist by helping our Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs to provide funds to the Rural Assistance Authority to help those in the rural timber industry. Today I ask the Minister at the table to raise with the Minister for Conservation and Land Management the matter of timber supply and guaranteed resource security. If opportunities in the market-place in Sydney and Melbourne are improved at least there will be some guarantee of a timber supply from the southeast forest for the Nimmitabel and Bombala mills. That is vital for the survival of Nimmitabel. At this point, I call on the honourable member for South Coast, who also has an interest in that area, and on the Federal Labor member for Eden-Monaro, Jim Snow, to use whatever influence they might have on members of the Opposition and the Independents in this House to guarantee resource security for the timber industry in the southeast region. The opportunities for survival of the industry are good, provided that the Labor Party and the Independents, along with the timber workers union, are able to get behind the timber industry in the southeast and assist in its fight for survival. The opportunities are there to expand the market-places in Sydney and Melbourne and, given guaranteed resource security and the fact that the rural industry is a resilient industry which will pick up once again, we must provide for the long-term security of timber towns such as Nimmitabel. I am sure the people of that area have every faith that the Australian Labor Party will join with the unions and with the rest of us in assisting to maintain the long-term security of the future of Nimmitabel and towns like it.

Mr ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Chappell): Order! The honourable member has exhausted his time for speaking.

Mr YABSLEY (Vaucluse), Minister for State Development and Minister for Tourism [5.50]: I will ensure that the points made by the honourable member for Monaro are relayed promptly and forcefully to the Minister for Conservation and Land Management. The honourable member has outlined very succinctly the key points presented by the Nimmitabel Action Group. The honourable member has only one issue in mind, that is, the well-being of the people of his electorate. The case he has presented is in keeping with the spirit of everything he does. This issue will be considered promptly and will receive appropriate follow-up action.

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