The Latest Breaking News from Opal

Dwindling timber supplies have been blamed for Australia's last white paper manufacturer shutting its eastern Victorian plant.

Melburnians know Myki, Sydneysiders know Opal. These two electronic ticketing systems for public transport may be streets ahead of what they replaced, but are now decidedly old-fashioned compared with systems elsewhere in the world.

Australia's sole office paper manufacturing could cease operations if its foreign owners decide to permanently shut its Latrobe Valley white paper mill line. Tomorrow's decision could affect up to 200 workers and comes after a halt in operations in native timber logging in Victoria.

Opal Australian Paper's Maryvale mill, in Victoria, has halted white paper production indefinitely, as the office supplies industry predicts paper prices will soar across the country.