Firewood collection season begins

Autumn Firewood Collection Season is now open.

Firewood collectors in Greater Melbourne are now able to collect wood with the opening of the autumn Firewood Collection Season.

There are 10 firewood collection sites open to communities in Melbourne’s east, with the sites holding low-to-medium volumes of available firewood.

Forest Fire Management Victoria Yarra District manager Nigel Brennan said by-product from planned burn preparation works and other forest operations was being made available for collection.

“VicForests timber harvesting works have left medium volumes of timber by-product that is being made available for firewood at designated collection areas,” Mr Brennan said.

“The remaining natural falls roadside collection areas around the region will continue to provide low firewood volumes for the duration of the collection season until June 30.”

Where possible, some debris from the June and October storms in 2021 may be made available as firewood, either commercially or as local collection.

Firewood can only be taken from designated collection areas in state forests or parks during approved times and for personal use only.

Collected firewood cannot be sold.

Collection limit sof two cubic metres per person, per day apply and a maximum of 16 cubic metres per household per financial year.

The felling of trees and cutting downed hollow logs for firewood is prohibited.

Due to limited stock in other areas across the state, new firewood restrictions have been in effect since Tuesday 1 March, restricting access to domestic firewood collection sites in Central Victorian State forests to local residents only.

An interactive map of all Victorian designated firewood collection area locations is available at ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood until Thursday 30 June.