With autumn now upon us many people might be thinking about the colder weather to come and getting themselves some firewood. But think twice before you head off with your chainsaw! These days there are strict regulations in both Victoria and New South Wales about when and where you can collect. No matter which side of the border you’re on, you should check out the appropriate websites listed below to make sure you have the correct permits, and to avoid being fined for doing the wrong thing!

NSW: Apply for a firewood permit | Service NSW

VIC: Firewood regulation | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au)

Illegal firewood collection leads to unsustainable practices affecting communities that rely on firewood for fuel over the winter and causes significant damage to parks and reserves. A whole host of animal species, from birds and mammals to reptiles and insects, rely on both standing trees and fallen logs for food and shelter.

Of paramount importance in ecosystems is wood that contains hollows – did you know it takes a tree around 100 years to create a hollow 10 cm big and 300 years or more for a hollow more than 20 cm big? One critter we have locally that uses the biggest of hollows is the greater glider, which is now sadly listed as endangered in Victoria. On top of bushfires that destroy habitat, illegal collection of firewood leads to less hollows available for the species that rely on them to survive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So please follow the rules when collecting firewood and help protect our forests for the future.