One Nation makes election promise to revive Victoria's timber sector

One Nation has pledged to let loggers back into native forests in Victoria if it wins the state election. ( Supplied: Victorian National Parks Association )

One Nation has promised to resume native timber logging in Victoria if it wins the state election, but has not said how the policy would be funded or achieved.

The party says its policy also includes provisions to protect old-growth forest and native habitat.

The Victorian Coalition is finalising its timber policy ahead of the election.

Two years after sawmills fell silent in Victoria's native forests, the logging industry could be revived if there is a change in government at the November election.

While the Coalition and One Nation have committed to restarting native forest logging, which was shut down by the Labor government in January 2024 , it is unclear what it would take to get the industry back on its feet.

One Nation's Narracan candidate Ben Lucas said the policy supported country-of-origin labelling laws on timber and wood products, and a self-funding model in which harvest revenue supported forest improvement and fire prevention.

He said the party would consult industry leaders and audit the millions of dollars Labor spent on the logging industry transition fund before settling on a new approach.

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