FIREWOOD SUPPLIES UNDER THREAT

The availability of firewood across Gippsland is under threat, because of the procedures put in place by VicForests.

Eastern Victoria MP and The Nationals Resources spokesman, Peter Hall, has called for a review of VicForests’ firewood procedures and practices to ensure ready availability of firewood for both commercial and private collectors.

Mr Hall told Parliament this week that people are concerned with the VicForests process, because of irregular and unreliable supply and the price, which is at least four times that paid for commercial firewood from Department of Sustainability and

Environment operations in other parts of the state.
Mr Hall said it was vital that eastern Victorians have access to sufficient, regular and affordable supplies of firewood. VicForests controls all the harvesting and sale of forest products in eastern Victoria.

“Firewood is the only viable and affordable option for many people in rural areas for the purposes of heating, and is therefore regarded pretty much as an essential commodity,” Mr Hall told Parliament.

“Last winter the supplies of firewood were desperately short right across the Gippsland region, and I am afraid the outlook for this winter appears to be no better.

“The problem arises from the fact that VicForests is a commercially driven public enterprise, focused on sawlog and pulpwood operations. Firewood is a poor cousin to these operations, and it appears that there is a less than satisfactory process in place to enable ready access by both commercial and private collectors of firewood.”

Mr Hall said in the past commercial firewood operators were allocated a coup for the purposes of collecting firewood, they undertook thinning operations or at times they undertook salvage operations from coups harvested for sawlog operations.

“This does not seem to be the case now. VicForests is now insisting on door sales – that is, product is being delivered directly to the door of the commercial firewood cutters and they do not have the same access to coups in the forest.”

Mr Hall pointed out the problems with supply and delivery this created, as well as the escalation in price.

Mr Hall called on the Treasurer, who is the Minister responsible for VicForests, to act quickly to ensure access to sufficient, regular and affordable supplies of firewood.

“I ask the Treasurer to ensure that VicForests reviews its firewood procedures and appropriate practices to ensure ready availability of firewood for both commercial and private collectors.”

Outside Parliament, Mr Hall said with winter fast approaching and many people stocking up on firewood, it was an urgent issue. “It has to be addressed so people in eastern Victoria are not compromised because of the processes the Government has in place.”