Rappville Sawmill was severely impacted by the devastating Black Summer bushfires. It is a vitally important industry for the community and supports over 100 local jobs. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan and State Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis have announced $742,090 for the Rappville Timber Processing Resilience Project. Mr Hogan said the project will ensure the long term viability of the Rappville sawmill, securing local jobs in the area. “Rappville Sawmill will use the funding to provide static and mobile fire protection,” he said. “This includes the expansion of their water holding capacity and firefighting infrastructure, such as fire hydrants; overhead sprinklers, and four mobile firefighting pods designed to extinguish spot fires.” “This is a hugely positive outcome for our community and comes at a critical time after back-to-back challenges triggered by natural disasters.” Mr Gulaptis said it was important to back projects that put people back in work, retain existing jobs and stimulate local economies. “An excavator and two log skidders will be purchased to harvest logs from the forest, and additional staff employed to operate the machines, adding reliability and efficiency to the supply chain,” he said. Two trucks will also be purchased and drivers employed – one, three hundred horsepower log jinker will be used to transport logs to the mill, and a smaller flat top truck will be modified to transport logging equipment and milled timber to local customers.” This funding has been provided through the Bushfire Industry Recovery Package, co-funded by the NSW and Federal Governments.