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New Chapter Begins for Spring Bay Mill
Spring Bay Mill, located in Triabunna, is up for sale for $15 million. Owner, Graeme Wood, the founder of Wotif.com describes it as a once-in-a-lifetime investment opportunity.
The site was originally home to the Triabunna Woodchip Mill, which from the 1970s was the world’s largest of its kind. It was a significant employer and a key part of Tasmania’s forestry industry, but it was also a source of controversy due to its role in the logging of native forests. The mill ceased operations in 2011, and in a move that drew both praise and criticism, was purchased by a consortium of environmentalists and business figures, led by Graeme Wood and business partner Jan Cameron (founder of Kathmandu).
Wood and Cameron, purchased the site for $10 million with the explicit goal of shutting down the woodchipping operations and preventing the mill from being reopened by others in the forestry industry.
This radical move sent shockwaves through the island.
To the forestry industry and the state government, Wood’s action was a hostile takeover, a calculated blow to a key pillar of the regional economy. They saw a future of job losses and a deliberate attempt to cripple a profitable industry.
The specter of compulsory acquisition was even raised, with some politicians arguing the government should seize the mill to keep it running.
But as the political rhetoric raged, something irreversible began to happen on the ground. Teams hired by Wood began to dismantle the mill with a speed that startled all observers.
The huge woodchipper, the conveyor belts, the very heart of the operation—all were systematically rendered inoperable. This act of deconstruction, carried out to make the mill’s return to life an economic impossibility, became a new source of controversy. Accusations of mischief and strategic destruction flew, leading to a parliamentary inquiry that sought to understand the haste and intent behind the dismantling.
Beneath the public firestorm, the partnership between Wood and Cameron frayed.
Their visions for the site’s future diverged, leading to a legal dispute that ultimately saw Wood take full control. He wasn’t just there to demolish; he was there to rebuild. His new vision, the Spring Bay Mill, was one of regenerative development—an events and tourism hub built from the bones of the old industry, where rusting silos became luxury accommodation and industrial sheds were reborn as event spaces.
The site now hosts a variety of events focused on art, music, history, politics, and ecology.
To some locals, Wood’s transformation was a welcome change, a chance for a new, more sustainable future. To others, it was an inadequate replacement for the livelihoods and community stability the mill had once provided. The saga of Graeme Wood and the Triabunna Mill remains a powerful and poignant narrative, a microcosm of Tasmania’s struggle to balance its rugged industrial heritage with a new identity as a global leader in environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism.
The sale is a continuation of the site’s ongoing transformation. While Wood’s initial motivation was to prevent the mill from operating again and to regenerate the land, the current sale is presented as a chance for a new owner to continue the project’s evolution. The move reflects Wood’s and his team’s work in demonstrating the potential of the site and now seeking a buyer to carry the vision forward.
Managed by the Colliers team of Sam Abel and Duncan McCulloch, the property—with its 55 accommodation units, eight event spaces, and development approval for more—is being offered via Expressions of Interest.
With the campaign closing on Thursday, 11 September 2025, the sale seeks a visionary to inherit the Mill’s story and lead its next phase, ensuring its future as a beacon of sustainable tourism on the immaculate east coast.
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