Labor’s Decision to Help End Native Logging Could Fuel More Illegal Activity: Industry

Logged trees in Mountain Ash forest, Victoria, Australia, on April 30, 2018. AAP Image/The Australian National University

Native forest logging will soon become illegal in the Australian state of Victoria after a string of legal actions from environmental groups hamstrung logging activity.

The move, which comes amid a shortage in timber supply, has been warned by the sector to lead to more illegal logging, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs and putting a strain on the country’s wood supply.