General News
2 October, 2024
Residents warned of wood theft
Wimmera residents are being reminded of the consequences of taking firewood illegally and destroying habitat.
The devastating and silent of firewood theft from Victoria’s forests and parks has been revealed as authorities announce a crackdown on escalating illegal firewood take and the destruction of habitat that's threatening the survival of native wildlife and Aboriginal cultural heritage.
In 2023 alone, firewood thieves damaged or destroyed more than 9200 native trees or cleared roughly 462 hectares – approximately 178.5 MCGs worth – of public land in Victoria, with much of the stolen wood sold on to unsuspecting Victorians by illegal firewood traders.
The Conservation Regulator and Parks Victoria have launched Taskforce Ironbark, a joint statewide initiative targeting illegal commercial firewood removal from public land and empowering Victorian firewood consumers to make choices that help protect forests and native wildlife.
With factors like rising living pressures, the demand for cheap firewood is increasing, exacerbating firewood theft and habitat destruction.
When Victorians unintentionally buy illegally sourced firewood, they could also be inadvertently supporting the individuals and syndicates who are destroying native forests and wildlife habitat.
Many of the trees targeted by thieves are large and old species that are unlikely to recover or be replenished in this generation or the next, and their illegal felling directly risks the survival of some of our most threatened native animal species.
Authorised officers are conducting targeted patrols across public land and using intelligence-gathering methods such as concealed cameras and community reports to catch commercial firewood thieves.
Last year, the Conservation Regulator and Parks Victoria issued 130 infringement notices and laid more than 220 charges related to habitat destruction and the illegal cutting and taking of firewood from forests and parks.
In Victoria it is illegal to cut and take timber from public land without authorisation.
The community can help by reporting suspicious sellers or firewood theft from public land to 136 186.
For more information visit www.vic.gov.au/sourcing-firewood