The historic sport of wood chopping is under threat in Victoria and may not be part of this year’s Royal Melbourne Show for the first time in decades. The lack of suitable alpine ash logs is mostly to blame. Source: Timberbiz
Harvesting ground to a halt in state forests managed by VicForests in November following court action seeking the protection of endangered gliders.
Alpine ash from these areas is the most suitable timber for chopping and is usually purchased from VicForests by the Victoria Axemen’s Council.
More than 100 wood chopping events are held each year in Victoria but with harvesting on hold, the supply of logs has also stopped.
Victorian athletes have been Australian and World Champions like Laurence O’Toole and Gippsland’s Glen Gillam who are giants on the international stage. Local talent is prodigious.
Victoria Axemen’s Council president Brad Meyer said wood chopping as a sport was facing the axe if logs could not be found.
“It is definitely under threat here in Victoria,” Mr Meyer said. “We have no timber for the Melbourne show. This time of year, I usually get the timber in, so we have it in storage.
“There is no sign of getting any timber for that event. I do not have a stick at all to put towards the Melbourne Show.”
Plantation timber is not suitable for competitions. A VicForests spokesman acknowledged the log drama, which was a result of fallout from the recent court case.
Melbourne Royal Show chief executive Brad Jenkins said the show was looking for a solution ahead of the 2023 event beginning on September 21.
The Nationals say they will be taking this issue to parliament.
