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As someone who has spent many years working in Australia’s forest industries, including working in a sawmill, processing firewood and representing timber towns, I’m witnessing an entirely preventable crisis unfold across rural Victoria, particularly here in East Gippsland. The Allan Labor Government’s response to our current firewood shortage is fundamentally dishonest. When Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos claims “firewood is a limited resource with unpredictable availability,” these weasel words are either breathtakingly ignorant or deliberately deceptive. Perhaps the Minister and Member for Oakleigh has such poor understanding of Victoria’s public land estate because the only decent-sized area of greenery in his electorate is a golf course. A little in the way of facts – Australia is the seventh most forested country on the planet. East Gippsland has approximately 74% native forest coverage – we’re surrounded by more timber than most places on Earth. Yet families struggle to heat their homes while contractors truck firewood from interstate. This isn’t a natural shortage, it’s government-manufactured crisis. The problem is straightforward: ideological forest policies driven by the desire for inner city greens preferences deny Gippslanders’ access to abundant resources. The government wound up the timber industry, removed firewood coupes from licensed contractors, and refuses to extend public collection periods despite having clear authority to do so. These policies are now driving illegal and dangerous firewood removal from public land, particularly threatening the small remnants of Red Gum forests that remain from pre-settlement times and that are synonymous with East Gippsland. When legal, sustainable access is denied within common forest types, drastically inflating the price of firewood, people turn to illegal harvesting within these precious ecosystems. Victorian State Government agencies including Victoria Police, the Conservation Regulator, Parks Victoria and Forest Fire Management Victoria have made headlines recently as they prosecute those for illegally harvesting firewood within parks and reserves from all over the state with state Chief conservation regulator Kate Gavens disturbed by the illegal harvesting that is commonplace “We are seeing quite significant amounts of illegal take of firewood, and cutting down trees in State Forest and in National Parks across the state” she reported. Meanwhile, our forests carry dangerous fuel loads and debris that should be harvested for community firewood needs. Instead, it creates fire hazards while families can’t afford heating. Properly regulated native timber harvesting reduces fire risk, maintains forest health, and provides affordable heating. The government acknowledges supply shortages create stress but refuses obvious solutions. The first step is extending firewood collection periods beyond the current restrictive windows of just a few months annually. The government possesses the power to implement these extensions immediately but chooses bureaucratic inaction over community welfare. Year-round access, with appropriate seasonal restrictions during extreme fire danger periods, would provide families with reliable supply while enabling sustainable harvesting rotation across different forest areas. This approach allows forests to recover between harvesting cycles while ensuring continuous community access to essential heating fuel. Secondly, opening additional collection areas would unlock vast tracts of public forest land currently closed to firewood collection despite containing abundant dead timber, storm debris, and material from planned burns. These areas could safely accommodate public access with minimal environmental impact, particularly zones already disturbed by natural events or management activities. Strategic opening of additional zones would distribute harvesting pressure, prevent over-use of current sites, and provide closer access for regional communities currently forced to travel vast distances to reach designated collection points. Finally, returning firewood coupes to licensed contractors would establish a local source of firewood for those that cannot obtain the resource themselves. Commercial contractors with proper licenses understand sustainable harvesting practices, forest regeneration cycles, and environmental compliance requirements developed through years of training and experience. In one of the most forested regions of the seventh most forested country on Earth, families are going cold because city politicians choose ideology over practicality. They’d rather families truck in expensive interstate firewood during a cost-of-living crisis, than allow sustainable low-cost local harvesting. Using sustainably managed native timber is akin to low-impact farming for firewood (amongst the many other products it can be turned into). Local timber harvesting this can be done in a way that keeps our bush healthy. Proper management supports wildlife, helps forests thrive, and makes use of a renewable resource instead of relying on energy-guzzling alternatives. It’s a smart way to manage a part of Victoria’s public land estate. This is another example of the vast disconnect between metropolitan policy makers and rural realities. Those living in Gippsland understand that sustainable harvesting is essential for both forest health and community resilience. The current Government must stop making excuses and start listening to rural communities. Mick Harrington is a third-generation firewood contractor, former executive officer of Forest and Wood Communities Australia and a proud Gippslander.

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