{"id":32176,"date":"2026-01-29T16:03:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T06:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=32176"},"modified":"2026-01-29T23:17:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:17:57","slug":"resource-drain-leaves-victoria-far-more-exposed-to-bushfire-than-black-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/resource-drain-leaves-victoria-far-more-exposed-to-bushfire-than-black-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Resource Drain Leaves Victoria Far More Exposed to Bushfire Than Black Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Victorian communities at high risk of bushfire are far less prepared than they were during the Black Summer fires, with the decision to cease f native forestry in 2023 contributing to a talent and resource drain across the state\u2019s timber towns. That is according to Steve Dobbyns, chair of Forest and Wood Communities Australia, who told Wood Central <\/em>that the drain could have an impact on the current emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dobbyns warned that the loss of forestry and, more importantly, fire-trained foresters in vast parts of the state\u2019s east, its north-east and the Central Highlands has left critical gaps: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the consequences of ending native forest harvesting has been the loss of skilled and experienced operators,\u201d Dobbyns warned. \u201cWe are now seeing that in the bushfire crisis, where multiple pieces of heavy plant \u2014 including dozers and harvesting machines \u2014 are currently stood down because there are not enough qualified people to operate them. Lives, property and environmental assets are at greater risk when that capability is missing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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