Environmental group celebrates as Eden Woodchip Mill burns down in bushfires

An environmental group has celebrated the destruction of the Eden Woodchip Mill, sparking outrage from locals.

The Facebook post by Environmental East Gippsland (EEG), which was later deleted.

An environmental group has celebrated on social media the destruction of the Eden Woodchip Mill in the NSW south coast bushfires, sparking outrage from the local community.

On Monday Environmental East Gippsland (EEG) posted on Facebook a picture of the Eden Woodchip Mill burning with a happy face in the description describing the fire as “really good news’’.

The post was deleted but later a new post of the mill burning was published, stating that it was a “symbolic moment”.

A spokesman for Allied Natural Woods Exports, the operator of the mill, Malcolm McComb called the mill’s destruction “tragic”.

It is the largest employer in the town of 3000.

However the EEG said the “writing was on the wall’’ for the mill.

“After 50 years of watching that monster chew up our forests and ship them overseas for Japanese profits, its days might be over at last,’’ EEG said in the post.

“The mill has a history of getting taxpayer funded grants to keep them profitable with our money or to build a new wharf.”

“Government must now invest in enviro-friendly industries that have both security and a social licence and are Aussie-owned.”

The mill was vigorously defended by locals on Facebook with the post garnering 900 responses in three hours.

“Why would you even contemplate posting this? It’s totally divisive and makes you look completely heartless,” said one person.

Mr McComb said the town would be seriously affected while the mill was inoperable.

“Seventy people are employed directly by the mill and 600 in the forestry industry in the greater region,” he said.

“It’s going to cause some disruption because we don’t know the extent of the damage yet - the logs about to be chipped are still on fire, so it’s not even safe to go in for an assessment.”

“There will be work to be done in cleaning up and salvaging operations, so we will need people to help there. We also hope to keep arrangements with contractors and stockpile wood, but it’s too early to say.”

“There’s so much rebuilding that needs to be done down here. I just don’t know if we have the engineering capacity to rebuild the mill as fast as we possibly can.”

Environment East Gippsland Inc. describes itself as “the longest running community forest group working for the protection of Victoria’s last and largest area of ancient forest.”

It was started in 1982 and claims to have a membership of over 350 people and is funded by individual donations.

Its current co-ordinator is Jill Redwood. She did not respond to a request for comment.