Firewood collection season opens, but not for everyone

Mar 11, 2022

Good wood: Only residents of specific central and northern Victorian local government areas will be able to collect domestic firewood from designated firewood collection areas within the yellow boundaries of this map. These include Mitchell, Strathbogie and Campaspe shires and City of Greater Shepparton, but not Moira Shire.

The central Victorian autumn firewood collection season has opened, however, some northern Victorian residents face a more than three-hour round trip to collect wood.

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Since March 1, firewood collection regulations on public land in central Victoria have been restricted to residents of specific shires.

The local government areas (LGAs) permitted to have access to central Victorian state forests (see map) include Buloke, Campaspe, Gannawarra, Loddon, Mitchell and Strathbogie shires and City of Greater Shepparton — but not Moira Shire.

Speaking during an adjournment debate in parliament on March 8, State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the omission of Moira Shire as an authorised LGA to collect firewood at points like Rushworth was unfair given the lack of conventional energy sources such as natural gas throughout the shire.

Firewood can only be taken from designated collection areas in state forests during approved times and for personal use only.

Moira Shire does not have any state forests within its boundaries.

Ms Lovell said the Victorian Government’s ban on firewood collection in Barmah National Park last year “severely impacted on many Moira Shire residents, who were forced to travel to Alf’s Dam near Rushworth to get their wood”.

She said now that option had “been taken away from them for no reason other than the local government area they live in” they had to drive to Swanpool, between Benalla and Mansfield, to collect wood.

Ms Lovell called on Victorian Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio to reverse “this ridiculous ban immediately”.

Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Amy Groch said the changes would maintain a more sustainable domestic firewood supply for communities in central Victoria and had been introduced following extensive community consultation.

“Designated firewood collection areas are selected for a range of reasons including the availability of firewood, community safety and to protect sites of cultural and environmental significance,” Ms Groch said

Firewood can only be taken from designated collection areas in state forests during approved times and for personal use only and cannot be sold.

Collection limits are also in place and include taking a maximum of two cubic metres a person a day and a maximum of 16 cubic metres a household in each financial year.

Felling of trees and cutting up downed hollow logs for firewood is prohibited.

The Conservation Regulator, FFMVic and Parks Victoria conduct routine, random and targeted patrols of forest areas, and authorised officers issue on-the-spot fines for firewood offences, with an option to take people to court for major offences.

An interactive map showing all designated collection areas is available at: www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood

Any information the community may have about the illegal removal of firewood for sale can be reported to 136 186.