No tolerance for disobeying laws

The Spring Firewood Collection Season for 2019 has begun across Victoria with a scheduled closure on 30 November.

Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Tony English said the legal collection of firewood from designated areas on public land began last Sunday, 1 September.

“We want to remind the public that firewood can only be taken from designated collection areas in State forests or parks during approved times; for personal use only and cannot be sold,” Mr English said.

“It’s important that people only collect firewood from those designated collection areas, and to stay within collection limits.”

Mr English said the designated collection areas are put in place to protect sites of cultural and environmental significance.

“The collection limits are in place to prevent households stockpiling large volumes of firewood from public land and denying others a supply. Collection limits include taking a maximum of two cubic metres per person per day and a maximum of 16 cubic metres per household per financial year. The felling of trees and cutting downed hollow logs for firewood is also prohibited,” he said.

“We have a zero-tolerance approach to anyone breaking our firewood collection laws. Authorised officers are patrolling parks, forests and reserves to ensure people are doing the right thing while collecting their firewood.”

“Under the Forest Act 1958, people who collect firewood outside designated collection areas or season or take more than the maximum allowable amounts can face fines of up to $8,261, or a maximum penalty of one-year imprisonment or both, if the matter proceeded to Court.”

Mr English said firewood is a shared public resource that provides a range of environmental values including land protection, waterway health and habitats for native wildlife, and needs to be managed in a sustainable way for the future.

For any further information on firewood collection, including interactive maps, or to report illegal or suspicious behaviour in public land areas, please contact the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on 136 186.