Logging to hurt Mirboo North’s economy

MIRBOO North’s thriving tourism industry would be decimated by any logging north of the town, South Gippsland Shire Council heard last Wednesday.
Members of the Preserve Our Forests Steering Committee said visitors were attracted by the chance to walk, cycle and enjoy nature in the town’s forests.
They said the prospect of logging in three coups of state forest north of Mirboo North would reduce the number of tourists who visit the town.
Councillors heard from Mirboo North Newsagency proprietor Heather Le Mescam, Viki Sinclair and Grand Ridge Brewery proprietor Eric Walters.
The comprehensive results of a community survey of how businesses will be impacted by logging will be known next month, Ms Sinclair said.
“Surveys are already showing that visitors and locals alike share concerns about a large negative impact on the local lifestyle and on visitors’ enjoyment and experiences here,” she said.
“What do you first notice when you enter our town from Leongatha or Morwell? I think you will agree it is the beautiful natural forested environment. This is a town that actually does nestle in the forests as all the tourism blurbs say.
“Our timbered forests and all they offer to visitors and locals surely make it one of, if not the greatest asset to Mirboo North.”
Ms Sinclair said the 2016 Mirboo North Structure Plan Economic Inputs by Tim Nott found that because Mirboo North catered for visitors, residents also spent more locally.
“This enables Mirboo North town centre to capture a much higher proportion of the available spending of trade area resident; approximately 30 percent when 20 percent might be normal for a trade area of this size,” she said.
Ms Sinclair said the structure plan also found an estimated $42.6 million was spent at Mirboo North’s retail businesses in 2016, with tourism a major contributor to that.
Ms LeMescam is concerned logging would impact her business, given “visitors stay, shop and eat in Mirboo North”, and the bush also attracts new residents.
“The town and the forest have a unique relationship and we must support our forests,” she said.
Ms Le Mescam said staff could lose hours and with other businesses at risk of also being affected, she said people could be forced to leave town to seek work, resulting in property values falling and council losing rates income.

Standing firm: from left, South Gippsland Shire councillors Don Hill and Andrew McEwen have submitted a notice of motion to be debated at tomorrow’s (Wednesday) council meeting, calling on council to object to proposed logging at Mirboo North.
They were pictured in the council chamber last Wednesday with Mirboo North Newsagency proprietor Heather Le Mescam, Grand Ridge Brewery proprietor Eric Walters, resident Viki Sinclair and Cr Maxine Kiel.

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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Mar 27 2018. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry