Almost everyone in the East Gippsland area is effected by the logging industry. There are approximately 6,700 people living in the region(Gippsland,1999) The logging industry provides jobs for many of these people and also supports local business. Gippsland land also relies on tourism as a large source of income and employment.

The resource rich region supports people working in industries as diverse as tourism, farming, forestry, gas, coal, oil, electricity generation, alternative energy systems, information technology research, tertiary education, exports, fishing, gourmet foods and vineyards, as well as the logging industry itself.

The local timber industry employs about 500 people. Nearly 30 per cent of households in Gippsland have a family member whose employment is directly or indirectly dependant on timber-related industries. Although in 1981, 2641 people were employed in forestry and logging in Victoria. By 1991 this had shrunk to 1410 people, less than one job in a thousand in the state(Logan 1997).

It has become apparent that due to logging in Gippsland the amount of flooding in the area has increased dramatically due to logging. With the result of logging the ecosystem is no longer able to lessen the amount or force of the floodwater. People living in this area are greatly affected by this since most of the land flooded was farmland.

Next Page