Victorian residents who rely on firewood are being warned to brace for more shortages and higher prices in the coming winter. Source: Timberbiz
General Manager for the Australian Forest Contractors Association Tim Lester said firewood users are facing limited supplies due to the closure of the native timber industry in Victoria and flooding in New South Wales.
“Firewood supplies in Victoria have been impacted by the closure of commercial native timber harvesting from the state’s forests which officially came into effect on 1 January 2024 but which was restricted due to court-imposed injunctions since November 2022,” Mr Lester said.
“And now timber businesses undertaking Community Forestry operations have been told that their activities in Victoria will cease by 5 February 2024, almost five months before the government’s revised deadline of 30 June 2024 and six years before the original deadline in 2030. Community Forestry was a key source of firewood for large parts of the state.
“Industry has struggled to adjust in the face of these rapidly amended timelines, whether imposed by the government or through court actions.
“But people who are just trying to heat their homes and stay warm, are also impacted here, particularly given the current cost of living crunch.
“The Victorian Government’s own Better Health website says that moderate cold kills more Australians every year than extreme heat or extreme cold. The most vulnerable members of our society are the most at risk.
“Wood heating is preferenced internationally for the use of renewable fuel, lower operating expenses, high quality heat and, with modern technology and standards, low emissions and al-most no smoke.
“Meanwhile, a growing, regenerative and managed forest used as a resource for all its benefits including timber and firewood offers the best mitigation pathway for climate change according to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
“Last year Victoria saw an increase in the illegal collection of wood from parks and reserves, while firewood businesses were bringing in truck loads from as far away as northern NSW.
“An approach of relying on someone else and somewhere else to meet our basic needs is inherently risky, as we now see with flooding in the redgum forests which will further disrupt and limit supplies. Victorian firewood users need to be prepared to pay more because the wood will now be coming from much further away if it comes at all.”
