The State Government must act immediately to secure Victoria’s firewood supplies, the Nationals Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said today.
The 2024 autumn firewood collection season opened on Friday March 1, but Ms Broad was told by residents that the Bendigo collection area was cleaned out by midday that day – just four hours later.
“The Labor State Government has no plan for affordable firewood in Victoria. Winter is fast approaching, and Victoria is facing a significant firewood shortage.”
Ms Broad asked the Minister for the Environment a question in Parliament about firewood supplies in October last year but is yet to receive a response.
Ms Broad raised the issue again in Parliament, calling on the State Government to secure Victoria’s firewood supplies, extend the firewood collection season and enable people to collect free firewood in areas with fallen trees after the recent storms, especially where there is community benefit.
“In many regional areas people rely on firewood for heating as electricity and gas bills continue to rise under this government,” Ms Broad told Parliament.
The autumn collection season runs until June 30 but Ms Broad said it should be extended.
Ms Broad said the government’s website gave no guarantee that firewood would actually be available for collection in the designated areas after they opened.
“This is certainly true for the Bendigo region, where the areas are quickly cleared out, and additional areas for domestic fire wood need to be opened up.
“Free firewood zones are under pressure and commercial supplies are drying up. VicForests supply a large amount of commercial firewood, but with the closure of the sustainable native timber industry, these supplies are at risk. Commercial firewood licences finished on 31 December and small specialty licences finish on June 30.”
Ms Broad said the cost of firewood was skyrocketing, and some people had become so desperate that they were resorting to illegal firewood collection.
“Just last month, a 39-year-old man from Kyneton was fined $3000 after he pleaded guilty to illegally cutting firewood in the Metcalfe state forest.”
More information, including collection locations and regulations, can be found on the website: https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood/find-a-firewood-collection-area
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au
