THE Labor Party says Bathurst stands to lose nearly 60 jobs if local member Paul Toole doesn't stand up for his community.
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While in Bathurst on Sunday, NSW Labor deputy leader Yasmin Catley and opposition spokesman for natural resources Paul Scully declared that Labor would fight to protect the city's Forestry Corporation jobs.
They said that 57 local jobs were at risk if a scoping study were to support the long-term lease of Forestry Corporation's softwood division.
READ MORE: NSW considers privatising softwood forests
Mr Scully said these job losses would impact the Bathurst economy.
"The Bathurst electorate has the highest number of people working in forestry and wood products manufacturing in the state, around 650 people according to the last Census," he said
"They're direct jobs. Generally there is about double that in terms of the indirect jobs that are supported through services the Forestry Corporation buy in, the spending of those people and their families within local communities.
"That's the order of magnitude we're looking at here and that order of magnitude is a huge hit on a regional economy."
However, Mr Toole said that the Labor Party was "no friend to the forestry industry", while the Liberals and Nationals were committed to retaining the jobs.
"Those in the industry haven't forgotten that [Labor] went to the last election with a plan that would have devastated the timber and timber manufacturing industry and cost hundreds of regional jobs," he said.
"The Liberals and Nationals have invested in the forestry sector, including putting money into growing our plantation estate.
"The current scoping study is just that - a study to look at the viability of a long-term lease of our softwood plantations.
"The Deputy Premier and current minister in charge of forestry, and myself, have been very clear it will only proceed on the basis it posed no risk to regional jobs."
Should plans for privatisation progress, Ms Catley said it would be "completely unsustainable".
"The flow-on effect for regional communities is far greater than jobs in metropolitan Sydney," she said.
"The government in Macquarie Street say one thing and then they come out here and they say another thing. The local member here is absolutely not standing up for his community and we call on him to do that."
The Labor Party hopes by speaking out in support of workers, it will put pressure on the Liberal and the Nationals parties to retain jobs in regional NSW.
"Hopefully the government will see the good sense that our forestry estate throughout NSW should remain in well-managed public hands," Mr Scully said.
