In 2019 the Victorian Forestry Plan set a 2030 end date for native harvesting. That ten year horizon shaped every part of the transition. When the date was brought forward by six years, the logic collapsed. Part 2 examines how an interrupted timeline left towns exposed before the real work could begin.
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AKD Yarram’s closure has been framed as a casualty of the native timber ban, but that story collapses two different industries into one. The mill processed softwood, not native hardwood. The real causes were national construction turbulence and a compressed transition timeline that left towns exposed.
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The closure of AKD’s Yarram mill is more than a job loss. It’s a systemic emergency that exposes how vulnerable small towns become when economic shocks arrive without a formal response system. Yarram’s community is already mobilising, but goodwill alone can’t carry what should be a structured, predictable framework for regional crises.
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The AKD mill didn’t close because housing collapsed – it closed because two long-running structural failures collided in one town. Here’s what really happened, and what Yarram needs next.
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Small country towns show how trust, reciprocity, and human scale create a stronger retail model. This article explains why Gen Z aligns with country retail and what big brands can learn.
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In high-stimulus public spaces, our bodies do more than react – they strategise.
Airports, hospitals, and stadiums all evoke subtle “Flight” responses: scanning, pacing, early exits.
Understanding how threat appraisal drives behaviour can help architects and planners design calmer spaces – and reveal why relaxation, not excitement, predicts dwell, spend, and satisfaction.
Pink asked, “If Charlie Kirk is Freedom, what is Dianne Keaton?” It wasn’t just a jab – it was a diagnosis. One man was honoured for defiance, one woman mourned for grace. Together they reveal how a culture’s definition of freedom has shifted from authenticity to spectacle.
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Small towns do more than change the scenery. They give visitors a break from themselves. This piece unpacks how nostalgia and tradition create identity relief that boosts spend, dwell time, and community value. Practical takeaways for tourism, luxury, food, museums, and policy.
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Regional investment can bring jobs and services, but also resentment when trust is broken. This article explores reciprocity, legitimacy, and the ethics of belonging in small towns.
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