Laminex to shut Monkland factory, expand Toolara site

The decision to shutter the Monkland factory and shift focus to Toolara has taken the region’s leaders by surprise, as the company declines to comment further on how many jobs will be lost or what the upgrade will look like.

Laminex General Manager Sacha Leagh-Murray (inset left) has declined to say how many jobs will be affected by the looming shutdown of its Monkland factory as workers and community leaders reel from a shock decision called "disappointing" by Wide Bay LNP MP Llew O'Brien (inset right).

The Laminex general manager has declined to reveal how many jobs are expected to go with the looming shutdown of its Monkland factory in mid-2026, as workers and community leaders reel from the announcement.

The shake-up was announced by the company on Tuesday, the same day its workforce was informed, revealing it would shut the particleboard factory at Gympie’s southern end and spend $19 million upgrading the Toolara Forest facility, 28km from the city.

Laminex said in the statement the “difficult” decision followed a “thorough review of operations and long-term management strategy”.

The site will shut down in April 2026.

“Monkland is one of Laminex’s older manufacturing sites, and bringing it up to modern standards would require significant capital investment,” the company said in its statement.

Laminex’s General Manager Sacha Leagh-Murray (inset left) has declined to say how many jobs will be affected by the looming shutdown of its Monkland factory as workers and community leaders reel from a shock decision called "disappointing" by Wide Bay LNP MP Llew O'Brien (inset right).

“After careful consideration, we have determined that this investment is not viable.”

GM Sacha Leagh-Murray said the company was still “committed to the local region” and had “recently begun a $19 million upgrade of the Laminex MDF Plant at Toolara”.

“To support our people through this transition, we have provided extended notice of the closure,” Ms Murray said.

“This is to ensure team members have time to consider their options and plan their next steps.

“We are also exploring opportunities for redeployment within Laminex wherever possible.”

On Wednesday Ms Leagh-Murray declined to provide further details on the number of jobs that would be affected, more specific details on the Toolara expansion, or how much would need to be spent to keep the Monkland factory open.

“Closing our Monkland plant has been a difficult decision to make, however the investment required to upgrade the plant just isn’t commercially viable,” she said.

The major shake-up was announced by Laminex on Tuesday, revealing it would shut the particleboard factory at Monkland and spend $19 million upgrading its Toolara Forest facility, 28km from the city.

“The impending closure impacts a number of our people, and our immediate priority is to support them through this transition.

“This will include exploring redeployment opportunities where possible.

“We won’t be making any further comments during the consultation process.”

Wide Bay LNP MP Llew O’Brien, a former Laminex worker, said the decision to shut the plant was “disappointing”.

“Prior to working with the Queensland Police Service I worked at Laminex and it has been a great place for people to make a start in their working life,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Laminex has not consulted with me about their decision but my door is open to them.”

Mr O’Brien said details of the problems which drove the decision were sparse but “if some help from government was needed either in terms of cutting red tape or direct assistance, I’m willing to help them make the case to Canberra”.

Laminex general manager Sacha Leagh-Murray said the company was still “committed to the local region” and had “recently begun a $19 million upgrade of the Laminex MDF Plant at Toolara”.

State LNP Agriculture Minister and Gympie MP Tony Perrett said he was “unaware that Laminex was considering closing the Monkland plant” and that he had not been approached by the company or employees to discuss the decision.

Ultimately it was “a commercial matter for Laminex to make”, Mr Perrett said.

“Manufacturing continues to be a vital industry for employment and growth in the Gympie region and across Queensland,” Mr Perrett said.

“I’m encouraged that Laminex is continuing to invest in the region by upgrading their Toolara site and exploring redeployment options for local staff.”

The company said workers and suppliers were notified of the closure on Tuesday and consultation with those affected would continue for the coming weeks.

Facebook followers were swift to express their concerns on social media following the news, with Michael Bourke saying he hoped the company had “enough money to pay … redundancies” and raising concerns on whether the current workforce would be “shafted like the last 3o were”.

The factory underwent a significant staff overhaul in 2019 when Laminex took over the factory from Carter Holt Harvey.

Originally published as Laminex to shut Monkland factory, expand Toolara site