Hanging along the security fence of Eden's Blue Ridge Hardwoods are 56 hi-vis workers shirts.
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On Tuesday, February 19, managing director of the hardwood sawmill Allan Richards could be seen hanging up the shirts - "There is one for every one of my workers."
The unwashed hi-vis work shirts labelled with their owners names represent each worker he said would be affected by the proposed looming closure of the 70-year-old timber mill by the end of this year.
"They are the shirts that they put on every day and come to work in. We put their names on them to show they are not just workers, they are people," Mr Richards said.
"Our NSW Forestry Corporation contract expires this Christmas - after that we will be free falling. It's a real threat to Eden and the workers."
He said it wasn't just his company that will be affected by the closure.
"We employ 150 contracting firms. Those firms believe they are going to have job losses once Blue Ridge closes. They too will be hanging up shirts for every employee affected."
Mr Richards said he already knows of one Eden company that has said it will close if and when Blue Ridge ceases operations.
READ ALSO: Eden timber hub deal a saw point
He said he has also received drafts of letters from his workers voicing their concerns and confusion over the imminent closure. The letters are meant for the media.
"The large majority of employees at the Blue Ridge site want a job with a future. Not the sack and some watered down redundancy payment."
In one letter a long-time employee wrote, "I cannot understand why the government wants to shut down a perfectly good sawmill".
"Upgrading the BRH sawmill would be the more sensible business plan for Eden and the workers. Not building another sawmill with a company that has never been interested in sawmilling and not knowing whether it will work or not," the employee said.
In August of 2018 Forestry Corp and Allied Natural Wood Exports confirmed negotiations were underway for a proposed $20million timber optimisation hub to be built on Edrom Rd. Since the announcement that Blue Ridge lost out on the tender, the company has been questioning the decision.
"Why doesn't the state government come out and say why they are creating this job loss program, in a town that cannot afford to lose jobs?" Mr Richards asked.
Bega MP Andrew Constance said a $20million timber optimisation hub to be built and operated by Allied Natural Wood Exports would "secure timber jobs for years to come" in Eden.
Mr Constance said while the NSW government wasn’t part of the commercial discussions leading to the tender announcement, which Blue Ridge Hardwoods missed out on, it had taken steps to secure the future of Forestry in Eden and assist in the transition to new supply arrangements.
This included the establishment of a significant funding package to support any workers impacted by the changes - $10million that could be used as an income support package (if required) for Blue Ridge Hardwoods in case of job losses; and $2.4m to keep the mill operating for another 12 months - the length of its renewed timber supply deal with Forestry Corp.
"Any decision about the future of Blue Ridge Hardwoods is a matter for Blue Ridge, not the NSW government," Mr Constance said in late January.
It's understood Mr Constance met with Mr Richards on Monday and a statement from his office was imminent.