A procession of B-double trucks will use night-time Sealink ferry crossings for three to five years to transport tens of thousands of tonnes of structural timber off Kangaroo Island.

The plan is facilitated by $15.1M in funding from the Federal Government to help freight logs salvaged from bushfire-affected plantations on the island. The logs will be sent to sawmills with immediate capacity to process structural timber.

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham says the South Australian Government has pledged up to $3 million to bring additional timber to the local housing industry and welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s new support package.

“This will be a game changer for South Australia’s housing construction industry and will significantly increase the amount of structural timber currently available,” Minister Basham says.

“The South Australian Government is ready to be the first state to sign up to accept the Commonwealth package. The booming local housing industry has been great news for our economy but the increased demand for timber has put real pressure on our supply chains.

“With a valuable resource on Kangaroo Island ready for harvesting, the Marshall Liberal Government has been working closely with the Morrison Coalition Government to deliver a viable solution to getting this timber to market.

“This transport subsidy will maximise the amount of sawmill quality log available to local processors which will boost supply and support local jobs in our regions and across metropolitan Adelaide.

“The community now needs Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers to open up access to its bushfire affected pine plantations for harvesting and allow local sawmills to get busy.

KIPT had proposed the development of a port at Smith Bay but that was rejected by Planning Minister Vickie Chapman, who cited concerns about the impact on the environment and tourism.

Mr Basham told ABC Radio Adelaide on Tuesday that it would take three to five years to get the timber off the island.

The timber will be loaded onto B-double trucks that would then use Sealink Ferries to reach the mainland.   

He said the timber ferries would run between Penneshaw and Cape Jervis during additional night crossings.