Media Release
October 23, 2025
NSW timber workers hold vigil for jobs lost to Great Koala National Park
Timber workers and community members gathered today outside the local government office to mourn the jobs lost following the NSW Government’s decision to expand the Great Koala National Park.
The Timber, Furnishing & Textiles Union (TFTU) organised the vigil to honour affected workers and demand urgent government action to protect remaining timber jobs and ensure fair treatment for older workers.
Pairs of work boots were laid at the office entrance, each representing ten families whose lives have been forever changed by the decision and black balloons were held in remembrance of affected communities.
TFTU NSW Secretary Alison Rudman said the vigil was both a moment of mourning and a call for accountability.
“We gathered today for an incredibly serious purpose, to mourn the timber jobs lost and to show our respect for the workers whose livelihoods have been destroyed by this decision.
“The Government’s own research shows timber jobs are better paid jobs, with timber workers earning on average double what tourism workers do. Yet those jobs are being wiped out with no fair plan for those left behind.
“It’s time for the politicisation of timber jobs to end. These are not abstract numbers, they’re families, communities and local businesses that have sustained our regions for decades.
“The Government must now act to protect older timber workers and everyone who relies on timber jobs in timber towns.”
TFTU delegate and Industry Advisory Panel member John Gunst, who spoke at the vigil, said the human toll of the decision was already visible in timber towns across the north coast.
“I’ve stood beside workers who told me how they spent Father’s Day wondering how they’d feed their kids or stay in their towns.
“In places like Herons Creek, where 85 jobs out of 246 people are at stake, the loss of even one mill is devastating. I’m 66 years old I can’t imagine having to start over at my age.
“We’re here today to say to those workers: you’re not alone. Every person here will stand with you until the Government finalises a fair deal.”
The TFTU says the NSW Government’s response still falls far short of the support offered to displaced timber workers in Victoria, where redundancy packages and transition programs were five times higher.
“Victoria showed how displaced timber workers should be treated: with dignity and proper support,” Ms Rudman said.
“In NSW, workers are being thrown scraps. This is Labor abandoning its own people in regional communities who have stood by the party for generations.”
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