The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has introduced changes to firewood collection regulations on public land in the Upper Murray area.
The Department said firewood collection from designated collection areas in the Upper Murray was now restricted to the residents of Towong Shire and specific post codes within adjoining local government areas.
District Manager of the Upper Murray at Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic), Dave Jenson said the changes aimed to ensure fire-impacted communities could gain greater access to the available firewood this spring in preparation for next winter.
“Due to a range of impacts, including the coronavirus pandemic and last summer’s bushfires, we are anticipating increased demand for the available firewood,” Mr Jenson said.
“We will continue to look for opportunities to make available to the community wood salvaged from bushfire response and recovery works,” he said.
“We want to remind the community that firewood can only be taken from designated collection areas in State forests or parks during approved collection seasons.”
Mr Jenson said designated collection areas were selected for a range of reasons including the availability of firewood, community safety, as well as to protect sites of cultural and environmental significance.
“Firewood collected from public land is for personal use only and cannot be sold,” he said.
“It’s important to stay within collection limits, which are in place to prevent households stockpiling large volumes of firewood from public land and denying others a supply.”
He said the felling of trees and cutting of hollow logs for firewood was also prohibited.
“Hollow logs and dead trees provide critical habitat for a wide variety of native species,” Mr Jensen said.
DELWP said residents of the City of Wodonga (postcodes 3691 and 3690), Indigo Shire (postcodes 3691 and 3695) and Alpine Shire (postcodes 3691, 3697, 3698 and 3699) were permitted to collect firewood from designated collection areas in the Upper Murray.
