Forestry Transition Program

Available now

• Sawmill Voluntary Transition Package – sawmills can apply to have their Timber Sale Agreements or Forest Produce Licences paid out and for support the transition of their business and workers.
• Forestry Transition Fund – businesses and communities can access Round One of the $36 million Forestry Transition Fund to support their region’s transition and employ native timber workers - including a $20,000 wage subsidy for businesses to recruit native timber industry workers.
• Victorian Timber Innovation Fund Round 2 – grants to help impacted forestry businesses transition from native timber to alternative fibres and investigate manufacturing opportunities.
• The Timber Supply Chain Resilience Package – grants to support manufacturers of native timber products to make business decisions.
• Forest and Fire Management Services Agreements – 5-year contracts for harvest contractors with DEECA for the management of Victoria’s forests and bushfire preparedness.
• Harvest and Haulage Support Package – compensation to support harvest and haulage businesses to transfer to DEECA Forest and Fire Management Services Agreements or exit the industry.
• Community Forestry Support Package – community foresters can apply for payments for plant and equipment, compensation for undersupply since November 2022 and a payment to reimburse employee statutory redundancy payments. Workers can access payments and funded training.
• Forestry Business Support Package – plant and equipment payment and statutory redundancy reimbursements for native timber dependant businesses not covered by the Sawmill Voluntary Transition Package, Harvest and Haulage Support Package or Community Forestry Support Package.

Still to come

• Victorian Timber Innovation Fund Round 3 – grants to help impacted forestry businesses transition from native timber to alternative fibres and investigate manufacturing opportunities. Harvest and haulage sub-contractors, chip truck drivers and other forestry businesses impacted by the forestry transition will be able to apply for the first time in Round 3.

More detailed information is on the Business support page.

Available now

• The Victorian Forestry Worker Support Program is delivered by ForestWorks. Support will be delivered through 1:1 case management including:
• Training
• Recognition of prior learning and current competencies to formalise skills acquired
• Employment support including matching workers to jobs in their local area
• Health and wellbeing support
• Referrals to other support agencies
• Support payments – Redundancy top-up payment, Over 45 payment, and Relocation payment
• Community Forestry Hardship Payments.
• The Opal Worker Support Service delivered by ForestWorks - delivering training, job services, health and wellbeing support.
• A boosted worker support package will include access to the Free TAFE program to help retrain workers to get jobs in growing regional industries.
• Extended compensation/stand down payments to keep workers and businesses paid until the transition is finalized.

More information about eligibility and supports are on the Worker support page.

Available now

• Local Development Strategies – 10 out of 11 Local Development Strategy programs are underway.
• Community Development Fund – grants to support the early implementation of the Local Development Strategy (LDS) program.
• Forestry Transition Fund – businesses and communities can access Round One of the $36 million Forestry Transition Fund to support their region’s transition and employ native timber workers - including a $20,000 wage subsidy for businesses to recruit native timber industry workers.

More information about is available on the Community support page.

• Worker Support Service: 1800 177 001

• Gippsland: Andrew van der Kaap, Business Transition Support Coordinator, 0417 992 636
• Rest of Victoria: Kara Zdrzalka, Business Transition Support Coordinator, 0417 483 803
• Forestry Transition Hotline: 1800 318 182

• Business Victoria website
• Phone: 13 22 15