Melbourne Royal Show: Woodchop still no certainty for 175th anniversary

As another woodchop gets the axe due to no wood, Melbourne Royal Show organisers are looking interstate to ensure its event survives.

Melbourne Royal Show organisers are exploring supply options interstate to ensure woodchopping isn’t axed from the event’s 175th anniversary in September.

The sport has been a major show attraction for more than a century, but wood is fast running out with a court order preventing timber harvesting in areas managed by VicForests.

Alpine ash is the most suitable timber for woodchopping and is usually purchased from VicForests by the Victoria Axemen’s Council for events such as the Melbourne Royal Show.

Smaller Victorian shows have already been forced to cancel woodchops and others have scraped by before the impact of the court action instigated by environmental groups was felt.

The Melbourne Royal Show woodchop has been a feature of the event for more than 100 years. Picture: Zoe Phillips

The Melbourne Royal Show is still not guaranteed of having logs for its hundreds of competitors this year.

“The most likely option is to source wood from Tasmania, however the transportation costs may not make it viable,” show chief executive Brad Jenkins said.

“The woodchop is one of the key attractions for over half a million people who come through the gates at the Melbourne Royal Show each year.”

Melbourne Royal Show organisers have turned attention to interstate to secure wood for this year’s woodchop. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

This year’s show schedule is still being developed and will be confirmed mid-year.

Seymour Alternate Farm Expo starting on March 31 is the latest event to be hit by the supply crisis after introducing woodchopping last year.

“It was very well received last year and the patrons who came to our event really enjoyed that aspect of the program,” expo event manager Jamie Gilbert said.

“It is highly disappointing we couldn’t get something like that back in 2023.

“It would also be quite disheartening for (competitors) not to have timber supply to pursue what they do on a regular basis.”