Ms Broad said she had been contacted by several people about a lack of available firewood leading up to winter and had raised the issue in parliament.
“There’s many people living in regional and rural areas that rely on firewood for heating and yet finding firewood is getting harder,” she said.
“It appears as though the areas open for firewood collection get smaller and smaller each year.”
According to Forest Fire Management Victoria, there are no collection areas in Campaspe Shire Council as of Monday, June 23.
Collection areas near Cohuna and Bendigo are restricted to local residents and the closest open area is more than 90 minutes from Echuca, outside of Violet Town.
In parliament, Ms Broad said the response she received from Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos was not encouraging.
“He said 15 firewood collection areas had been opened across the Loddon Mallee region on March 1, with another three planned, but they could close early if no more wood was available,” she said.
The autumn firewood collection season, one of two collection periods per year, runs from March 1 to June 30.
Ms Broad was told there were fewer Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action resources available due to their deployment in the Grampians region.
Additionally, some DEECA staff have been undertaking industrial action over wages since November last year, which has included a ban on felling trees for firewood.
Ms Broad said this was frustrating and distressing to residents who relied on wood for heating.
“Costs of living keep going up. People rely on firewood and free collection zones to try to reduce that cost because, as we know, electricity prices keep skyrocketing,” she said.
People on low incomes who buy firewood can apply for financial assistance at www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood/energy-concession-and-support
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