China’s ban on Australian timber from two more states last week has prompted a union call for immediate government help and an overhaul of the local industry. Senior CFMEU official Michael O’Connor said last week’s suspension of timber exports from New South Wales (NSW) and Western Australia (WA)  showed it was time to take immediate action. He called on the federal government and states to pitch in with short-term aid but added the only long-term solution will be to make the local industry more self-reliant. “The current export ban by China highlights that we, as a country, have been too reliant on exporting our raw resources,” O’Connor, the CFMEU’s national secretary for manufacturing, said. “We should be processing our raw resources here, generating more jobs and better economic and social outcomes for our country,” he added. China said it suspended imports of NSW and WA after finding pests in the …