Due to a shortage of timber supplies, Australia’s last white paper manufacturing plant will be closing, resulting in job losses. Opal Australia has declared that it will no longer produce graphic paper at its mill in Maryvale in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, as the sudden and unexpected suspension of wood supplies from an ongoing court battle has made it unfeasible. This disruption led to 49 production workers at Opal being stood down, although their pay was guaranteed until mid-March by the Victorian government. Nippon expects to post a $21 million loss from the closure.
In response, Opal will focus on its packaging business, transitioning the MV Mill into a sustainable packaging paper mill. The Victorian Greens have called for an immediate end to all native forest logging in the state, ahead of the scheduled deadline of 2030. The Victorian government has been contacted for comment.