The inquiry, which will begin public hearings in August, was launched in response to the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20.

The fires completely decimated native forestry and plantations across the region, which is projected to lead to major job losses and a downfall in timber supply, especially as the post-bushfire salvage operation wraps up.

Around one third of Forestry Corporation plantations in the South West Slopes region, covering Tumut and Tumbarumba, were impacted by the fires. Private softwood plantation companies managed by Global Forest Partners collectively had around 8000 hectares of plantation impacted by fire as well.

Industry union CFMEU wrote to the inquiry about the post-bushfire investment in timber salvage operations, and argued that funding should have had a stronger link to long-term job retention.

They wrote that a "deplorable outcome" of the scheme was the loss of 50 local jobs when Big River announced it would close its Wagga site, just days after the company received $10 million via the bushfire industry recovery package to be used exclusively at their Grafton site.

Tumbarumba in the Snowy Valleys is also anticipating job losses due to the impact of the bushfires, which impacted 40 per cent of Hyne Timber mill's strategically-located plantation pine.

An economic impact analysis of the bushfires on the community as a whole found that over the next three years, the loss of local supply to the Hyne sawmill would result in approximately 157 fewer jobs across the Snowy Valleys LGA, with around 140 of those in Tumbarumba.

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"This included a loss of $177 million in gross revenue in Tumbarumba alone and a significant reduction of by-product supply to local downstream manufacturers such as Visy," Hyne Timber wrote in their submission.

The loss of local supply has forced Hyne Timber to source pine from further afield with "crippling" freight costs. The organisation applied for a post-bushfire state government grant to fund three years worth of freight costs, but this was rejected by the state government.

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and the Softwoods Working Group (SWG) both argue in their submissions that increasing the plantation estate within NSW is critical for the future growth of the industry and to create more jobs.

It will take an estimated ten years to replant all the plantation estate lost as a result of the fires, the AFPA wrote.

SWG also called on the state government for increased fire preparation and mitigation, and described bushfires as "the single most significant risk to the future of the industry as a whole."

Oura-based forester and sawmill operator Leigh Campbell wrote to the inquiry and said that over the past few decades, he has watched many smaller mills like his own close down across the region.

In the late 70's he and his wife Carmel purchased a native hardwood forest at Oberne Creek between Tarcutta and Batlow and established a sawmill there, before moving operations to Oura outside of Wagga in 1986.

In his submission, Mr Campbell said that the inability for small timber mills to source materials from Forestry Corp has made many businesses like his unviable.

He recalls trying to get a supply of quality ash timber to Rod Cullen's Wagga handle making factory, but the only logs available to them were from salvage ash, or small, rejected logs.

"State Forests (now Forestry Corporation) said supply of all their good ash was committed to one client in Victoria, as such he was unable to get any," Mr Campbell wrote.

"Peels Mill Batlow was unable to get anything but low-grade salvage logs and eventually closed."

Looking towards the future of the industry, Mr Campbell proposed the idea of a state-backed management structure, with a CEO and board of industry professionals and a head office in Wagga.

"(Wagga) has just been granted a huge amount of money for industrial development and a rail hub, which could assist with taking export wood chips and any other product to sea terminals," he said.

Batlow's Scott Baron also penned a submission to the inquiry, outlining the decline of forestry jobs in the small alpine town.

He said that this is due to the closure of hardwood mills as local focus shifted to softwood production for timber and pulp.

Mr Baron detailed the closure of Batlow's Forestry office and workshop, and said that this not only led to job losses but removed a base for machinery and a low loader to move machinery, which "proved to be a huge loss during the Dunns Road fire."

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