Wellington Shire Council will write to Bunnings Warehouse chief executive Mike Schneider and Wesfarmers to explain the potential economic impacts of its decision to cease sourcing timber from Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) in Heyfield.

Wellington Shire Council Mayor Alan Hall said Wellington had already suffered many hits to its local communities and industries.

“The people of Wellington and in particular Heyfield have been kicked in the guts time and time again with the announcement of the cessation of native timber harvesting,drought, bushfires, the Covid-19 pandemic and now this,” he said

“Council and the Heyfield community won’t take this lying down, we will do everything we canto ensure the future of our timber communities.

“This is an ill-thought, irrational decision that will leave many wondering what alternative timber source Bunnings thought they could access?

“Surely they are not considering imported timber!”

Cr Hall said ASH had world-class sustainability practices and the implications of such a move by Bunnings would reverberate throughout the whole of Gippsland.

“Wellington has taken enough hits, we are not going to let this one go. Bunnings and Wesfarmers need to look at the whole picture and see reason. We will do everything we can to make sure that happens.”