Lack of firewood collection areas: Households forced to travel up to 150km

Northwest Victorian households have been forced to travel up to 150kms to collect firewood, after the Allan Government failed to designate any sites across the vast region.

Victorians living across a quarter of the state have no access to local firewood collection areas to fuel their heaters this winter. Picture: Supplied

Northwest Victorian households have been forced to travel up to 150kms to collect firewood to warm their homes, after the Allan Government failed to designate any sites across the vast region.

Halls Gap residents Sue and Bruce Shuttleworth said an area from Hamilton to Mildura and across from St Arnaud to the South Australian border was again without designated firewood collection areas, as shown on the government’s latest map.

The Government's latest map of firewood collection areas (red and grey markers) shows northwest Victorian households must travel up to 150kms to find fuel to warm their homes.

“There are a lot of households out here dependent on wood heating and use solid fuel boilers and stoves for cooking and hot water during the winter months,” Mrs Shuttleworth said.

“Without a designated collection area firewood for this area (firewood) has to be sourced from designated areas further south or in the east.

“If people are able to travel that far for a load of firewood and assuming that the commercial operators have not denuded the forest first!”

When questioned on the issue early last month a Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action spokeswoman said “collection areas in the Wimmera will open later in the season when the fire risk in the region reduces and it is safe to access locations”.

But the Victorian Government gazettes show the only sites opened since March are located at Heathcote, Castlemaine and in Gippsland.

The Shuttleworths said it was the second year running the northwest had been without access to firewood collection areas.

Households unable to collect their own firewood face buying it from commercial harvesters at more than $1000 per four cubic metre load (delivered), compared to $600 a load four years ago.

The demise of the Victorian native timber industry on January 1 last year has forced suppliers to look interstate, where they face hefty freight costs.

A DEECA spokeswoman said “we know the cost-of-living is impacting Victorian families and for some of these families firewood collection is an important part of heating their homes”.

Victorians on low incomes, with or without a concession card, who rely on firewood for heating, and have experienced unexpected financial hardship can apply for non-mains utility relief grants of up to $650.

The Shuttleworths said “perhaps, supervised firewood collection in parks and state forests in the states west “could be a way to provide this basic necessity for so many households while helping reduce fuel loads in these areas”.