Wellsford State Forest. Photo: Brendan McCarthy
Firewood collectors in the Greater Melbourne area are now able to top up their stores of wood with the opening of the spring Firewood Collection Season on Thursday. Ten firewood collection areas will be opened to communities in state forest east of Melbourne, with the sites holding low-to-medium volumes of available firewood. Source: Timberbiz
Forest Fire Management Victoria Yarra District Manager, Nigel Brennan, said that wherever possible, by-product from planned burn preparation works and other forest operations will be made available for collection.
“The remaining natural fall roadside collection areas around the region will continue to provide low firewood volumes for the duration of the collection season until November 30,” he said.
Firewood can only be taken from designated collection areas in state forests during approved times and for personal use only. Collected firewood cannot be sold.
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.
Storm recovery works in the Dandenong National Park are still ongoing. Where possible, some debris will be made available as firewood through local commercial markets. You cannot take firewood from National Parks or along roadsides not in a collection area.
Firewood collection areas in Central Victoria continue to be under local firewood restrictions introduced during the Autumn firewood collection season.
These restrictions aim to ensure that Central Victorian communities gain greater access to their available local firewood into the future.
Melbourne residents who travel regionally to collect firewood should note that local firewood restrictions may be in place, it is advised that which collection sites are under local restrictions before travelling.
An interactive map of all Victorian designated firewood collection area locations is available at www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood until 30 November.
