Forest Fire Management Victoria’s Hume Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Aaron Kennedy said it is important that people only collect firewood from designated collection areas on public land where collection is allowed and stay within collection limits.
“You may collect up to two cubic metres of firewood per person per day, and up to 16 cubic metres per household per year, this prevents households stockpiling large volumes of firewood and denying others a supply,” Mr Kennedy said.
“The felling of trees for firewood is strictly prohibited and we have a zero-tolerance approach to anyone breaking our firewood collection laws. Authorised officers are patrolling parks, forests and reserves to ensure people are doing the right thing while collecting their firewood.
“Firewood is a shared public resource that provides a range of environmental values including land protection, waterway health and habitats for native wildlife, and needs to be managed in a sustainable way for the future.”
More information and updates, including interactive maps showing designated collection areas, will be available on www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood from the 1 September, or you can call 136 186 to find out more.
Firewood collection areas near planned burns may close for public safety. It’s important that you check where burns are happening as affected firewood collection areas may be closed at short notice. Go to www.ffm.vicvic.gov.au/plannedburn, download the VicEmergency app or call 1800 226 226 or visit our DELWP Hume Facebook page.”
Under the Forest Act 1958, people who collect firewood outside designated collection areas or season or take more than the maximum allowable amounts can face fines of up to $8,261, or a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment or both, if the matter proceeded to Court.
For any further information on firewood collection or to report illegal or suspicious behaviour in public land areas, please contact the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on 136 186.