The Portable Lucas Sawmill Project, which got its start from bushfire relief funds collected by Rotary clubs at the Camberwell markets and a separate RCM grant of $1,500 (leveraged to $4,500 by our successful District Grant application) is now booming, as shown by the following report from Bernie Farquhar of RC Bairnsdale in Jan 2022:
The East Gippsland Milling Project has grown considerably, we are now a Registered Non-Profit, we are looking at ordering a Third Mill for 2nd quarter 2022, we now have 2 mills, 2 Toyota Hi Lux, 2 Skid steers, 4 Trailers, 2 Portable loos on trailers and 2 Marquees, 5 contractors are working the mills 5 Days a week, some packs we have cut are highly valued hardwood timber, with prices sky rocketing since we have started. At some farms we have been too we have provided over $100k of cut product sitting ready to dry and use in about 6 months’ time.
We are constantly meeting with Delwp, Parks, Vic Forest and amazing, we have had VicRoads at the table. They are all supporters of the project; we have locked in this year’s operational funding for the two mills and are now working on the third mill.
BRV, Bush Fire Recovery Vic and Delwp have had meetings about adopting us under a permanent umbrella as a disaster recovery unit, this is really exciting and will keep you updated on this move. Early days.
We have had the TV show “The Project” come and interview us and a couple of clients. We also started a go fund me page which now has $5k in it. - Bernie Farquhar RC Bairnsdale
Click on the following links to watch the presentation on The Project.
Bushfire Victims Still Attempting To Rebuild Lives Two Years Later
https://vimeo.com/684107083/2163d523ab
or
Short Clip East Gippsland Timber Mill
Source: Rotary Balwyn
February 2022 Update from Bernie Farquhar
Champagne corks were popping this week at Rotary, the National recovery and resilience Agency announced they will be supporting the East Gippsland Timber Milling Project with a grant $520,000, this will secure the two mills future to 2024 for East Gippsland, we have 80 farms on a list, we have completed 21, and some we will be returning to.
I had the pleasure of hosting Both Cookson from NRRA on Wednesday, where we discussed possible duplication into southern NSW and funding of the operations of a third mill here Gippsland. We have purchased it already just need operation funds. We have requested a further $1.1 mil.
This has definitely been the greatest project undertaken by our club and lions co-operations has been fantastic.
