Sammlung von Newsfeeds

A lot of attention has been paid to how climate change can drive biodiversity loss. Now, MIT researchers have shown the reverse is also true: Reductions in biodiversity can jeopardize one of Earth’s most powerful levers for mitigating climate change. Source: Timberbiz In a paper published in PNAS, the researchers showed that following deforestation, naturally regrowing tropical forests, with healthy populations of seed-dispersing animals, can absorb up to four times more carbon than similar forests with fewer seed-dispersing animals. Because tropical forests are currently Earth’s largest land-based carbon sink, the findings improve our understanding of a potent tool to fight climate change. “The results underscore the importance of animals in maintaining healthy, carbon-rich tropical forests,” said Evan Fricke, a research scientist in the MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the lead author of the new study. “When seed-dispersing animals decline, we risk weakening the climate-mitigating power of tropical forests.” Mr Fricke’s co-authors on the paper include César Terrer, the Tianfu Career Development Associate Professor at MIT; Charles Harvey, an MIT professor of civil and environmental engineering; and Susan Cook-Patton of The Nature Conservancy. The study combines a wide array of data on animal biodiversity, movement, and seed dispersal across thousands of animal species, along with carbon accumulation data from thousands of tropical forest sites. The researchers say the results are the clearest evidence yet that seed-dispersing animals play an important role in forests’ ability to absorb carbon, and that the findings underscore the need to address biodiversity loss and climate change as connected parts of a delicate ecosystem rather as separate problems in isolation. “It’s been clear that climate change threatens biodiversity, and now this study shows how biodiversity losses can exacerbate climate change,” Mr Fricke said. “Understanding that two-way street helps us understand the connections between these challenges, and how we can address them. These are challenges we need to tackle in tandem, and the contribution of animals to tropical forest carbon shows that there are win-wins possible when supporting biodiversity and fighting climate change at the same time.” The next time you see a video of a monkey or bird enjoying a piece of fruit, consider that the animals are actually playing an important role in their ecosystems. Research has shown that by digesting the seeds and defecating somewhere else, animals can help with the germination, growth, and long-term survival of the plant. Mr Fricke has been studying animals that disperse seeds for nearly 15 years. His previous research has shown that without animal seed dispersal, trees have lower survival rates and a harder time keeping up with environmental changes. “We’re now thinking more about the roles that animals might play in affecting the climate through seed dispersal,” Mr Fricke said. “We know that in tropical forests, where more than three-quarters of trees rely on animals for seed dispersal, the decline of seed dispersal could affect not just the biodiversity of forests, but how they bounce back from deforestation. We also know that all around the world, animal populations are declining.” Regrowing forests is an often-cited way to mitigate the effects of climate change, but the influence of biodiversity on forests’ ability to absorb carbon has not been fully quantified, especially at larger scales. For their study, the researchers combined data from thousands of separate studies and used new tools for quantifying disparate but interconnected ecological processes. After analysing data from more than 17,000 vegetation plots, the researchers decided to focus on tropical regions, looking at data on where seed-dispersing animals live, how many seeds each animal disperses, and how they affect germination. The researchers then incorporated data showing how human activity impacts different seed-dispersing animals’ presence and movement. They found, for example, that animals move less when they consume seeds in areas with a bigger human footprint. Combining all that data, the researchers created an index of seed-dispersal disruption that revealed a link between human activities and declines in animal seed dispersal. They then analysed the relationship between that index and records of carbon accumulation in naturally regrowing tropical forests over time, controlling for factors like drought conditions, the prevalence of fires, and the presence of grazing livestock. “It was a big task to bring data from thousands of field studies together into a map of the disruption of seed dispersal,” Mr Fricke said. “But it lets us go beyond just asking what animals are there to actually quantifying the ecological roles those animals are playing and understanding how human pressures affect them.” The researchers acknowledged that the quality of animal biodiversity data could be improved and introduces uncertainty into their findings. They also note that other processes, such as pollination, seed predation, and competition influence seed dispersal and can constrain forest regrowth. Still, the findings were in line with recent estimates. “What’s particularly new about this study is we’re actually getting the numbers around these effects,” Mr Fricke said. “Finding that seed dispersal disruption explains a fourfold difference in carbon absorption across the thousands of tropical regrowth sites included in the study points to seed dispersers as a major lever on tropical forest carbon.” In forests identified as potential regrowth sites, the researchers found seed-dispersal declines were linked to reductions in carbon absorption each year averaging 1.8 metric tons per hectare, equal to a reduction in regrowth of 57%. The researchers say the results show natural regrowth projects will be more impactful in landscapes where seed-dispersing animals have been less disrupted, including areas that were recently deforested, are near high-integrity forests, or have higher tree cover. “In the discussion around planting trees versus allowing trees to regrow naturally, regrowth is basically free, whereas planting trees costs money, and it also leads to less diverse forests,” Terrer said. “With these results, now we can understand where natural regrowth can happen effectively because there are animals planting the seeds for free, and we also can identify areas where, because animals are affected, natural regrowth is not going to happen, and therefore planting trees actively is necessary.” […]

The post Regrowing tropical forests can absorb more carbon with seed dispersing animals appeared first on Timberbiz.

Have you ever examined timber floorboards and pondered why they look the way they do? Perhaps you admired the super-fine grain, a stunning red hue or a swirling knot, and wondered how it came to be? Source: The Conversation Or perhaps you don’t know what tree species your floorboards are made from, and how to best look after them? Finely polished floorboards reveal detail about the timber that can be much harder to detect in unpolished boards or other sawn timbers. “Reading” the knots, stubs and other characteristics of floorboards can reveal what type of tree produced it and how it grew. It can also reveal fascinating details about the lives of the trees they once were. A variety of tree species are used to make timber floors. Hardwood species include the pale cream of Tasmanian oak, the honeyed hues of spotted gum and the deep red of jarrah. Other times, softwood such as pine or spruce is used. Such species are often fast-growing and prized for their availability and affordability. Hardwoods are, by definition, flowering trees, while softwoods are from cone-bearing trees. Paradoxically, not all softwoods are soft or hardwoods hard. The balsa tree, for example, is a fast-growing hardwood tree renowned for its soft wood. It’s not always easy to tell if a floor is hardwood or softwood, but there are discernible differences in their appearance. The real differences between softwood and hardwood lie in the anatomy and structure of the “xylem tissues” that make up the wood. These tissues transported water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant when the tree was alive. The arrangement of xylem tissue in the tree largely determines the “grain” in your floorboards. The grain is the appearance of wood fibres in the timber. The grain can be straight, wavy or spiralled. In floorboards with straight grains, a tree’s growth history may be clear. As a tree trunk grows in diameter, it typically produces a layer of bark on the outside and a lighter layer of xylem tissue on the inside. When a tree is cut horizontally, the growth appears as rings. In a tree cut lengthwise (which happens when floorboards are milled) the growth appears as long lines in the timber. If the lines in floorboards are very close together, this indicates the tree grew slowly. Wider lines suggest the tree grew rapidly. Vessels in a tree’s xylem transport water from the roots to the rest of the plant. Hardwood tree species tend to have large vessels. This gives hardwood floorboards a coarser-grained and less uniform appearance. In contrast, softwood species such as conifers have smaller, dispersed vessels and produce more fine-grained, smoother timber. Knots in floorboards occur when a branch dies or is cut, then tissue grows over the stub. The bigger the missing branch, the more substantial the knot. Knots in floorboards can reveal much about the source tree. Pine, for example, often features multiple small knots originating from a common point. This reflects the growth pattern of young plantation pines, where several branches grow out from the trunk at the same height from the ground. Often, the distance between knots tells us how quickly the tree grew. The greater the distance between the knots, the faster the tree grew in height. The presence of a tree’s “defence chemicals”, known as polyphenols, can be seen clearly in some floorboards. Polyphenols protect plants against stressors such as pathogens, drought and UV radiation. The chemicals contribute to the red hue in some floorboards. Because polyphenols have a preservative effect, they can also make timber more durable. Dark reddish or brown timbers containing a high concentration of polyphenols include mahogany, merbau, red gum, ironbark and conifers such as cedar and cypress. In cases where a tree is burnt by fire, or attacked by insects or fungus, it produces a lot of polyphenols at the site of the damage. In these cases, the presence of polyphenols in floorboards can be very obvious – sometimes appearing as a section that is dark brown verging on black. It’s widely known that living trees store carbon, and that this helps limit climate change. It’s less well known that timber floorboards also store carbon. And as long as that timber is preserved – and not destroyed by fire, decay or wood rot – that carbon will stay there. If floorboards have to be removed, try to make sure the timber is reused or repurposed into other products. And if you are installing a new polished timber floor, or already have one, there are steps you can take to make it last for a long time. Softwood boards will benefit from a hard surface coating, especially in high-use areas. Reducing the floor’s exposure to bright sunlight can preserve the colour of the floorboards and prolong the life of the coating and the timber itself. Large knots in floorboards can twist and start to protrude from the surface. To ensure the floor remains even and safe, and to prevent the board from splitting, secure the knot to a floor joist with a nail or glue. And take the time to understand the lessons embedded in your floorboards. They have much to teach us about biology and history, if we take the time to read them.

The post How to read knots in floorboards appeared first on Timberbiz.

Kesla has launched two new crane models the KESLA 2225 and KESLA 2228 designed specifically for loading long timber. These new models mark a significant leap forward in performance, durability, and operator-focused design for Kesla. Source: Timberbiz Replacing the previous 2124L and 2024–2028 series, the KESLA 2225 (24 tnm) and 2228 (28 tnm) are engineered for demanding timber loading operations on semi-trailers and articulated trucks. With optimized hydraulics, robust boom structures, and advanced control systems, these cranes are built to meet the evolving needs of modern forestry. KESLA 2225 is a 24 tnm loader operating at 26 MPa, with an optional high-pressure mode (28 MPa) enabled via the proC i electric control system. This unique 5-minute heavy-lift mode is ideal for lifting semi-trailers, offering extra capacity with controlled speed. KESLA 2228 is a 28 tnm powerhouse operating at 26 MPa with larger cylinders for increased lifting performance. Standard equipment includes Parker K130 valves with a 2-circuit system, while Parker L90LS valves are available as an option. These cranes are purpose-built for whole-tree harvesting sites and cut-to-length log loading, with outreach options of 8.4 m, 8.8 m, 9.8 m, and 10.2 m. Optional log heels on the main boom enhance handling of long timber and poles. The FD3850 flapdown stabilizer legs provide exceptional stability on steep slopes and mountain roads, while the three stabilizer beam variants offer flexibility for different mounting configurations. Hydraulics are internally routed. Large-diameter hydraulic lines ensure fast, efficient movements with reduced thermal load. The proC i system allows proportional joystick control and optional electric damping. Boom system is constructed from Strenx 700 steel. The booms are both lightweight and durable. A dual-layer powder coating ensures long-lasting aesthetics and corrosion resistance. Bolt-on gland designs simplify maintenance of the cylinder, while the extension system features a fast-tightening 1” 4×6 chain and easy hose replacement. The boom can be stowed over the truck cabin, achieving a compact transport height of just 785 mm. The redesigned high seat offers superior comfort with adjustable suspension, a high backrest, armrests, seat heating, and safety features including an OPS switch and seat belt. Slide rails and an adjustable backrest ensure optimal ergonomics for long shifts.  

The post Two new Kesla tree length cranes appeared first on Timberbiz.

The FIEA program for Residues2Revenues 2025 has been launched. This event, taking place on 21-22 October 2025 in Rotorua, New Zealand, promises a deep dive into the burgeoning bioenergy sector, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and stakeholders. Source: FIEA The 2025 program boasts an impressive lineup of speakers and sessions, designed to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities in the bioeconomy. The keynote address will be delivered by Don G Roberts, bioenergy expert & CEO of Nawitka Capital Advisors, Canada, who will speak on “Championing Transformation – Global Challenges and Opportunities in Using Forest Resource for High Value Products.” Program highlights include: Don G Roberts presentation, “Championing Transformation – Global Challenges and Opportunities in Using Forest Resource for High Value Products.” Shane Batchelor, Operations Manager at Red Stag Timber, presenting a case study on modern co-generation and sawmill energy systems. Presentations from Genesis Energy on their biomass business development and the Hon Simon Watts, New Zealands Minister of Energy, on the Government’s Woody Biomass Taskforce. A look into the future, with sessions on New Zealand’s first large-scale biomass torrefaction facility and the future availability of liquid fuels for heavy transport. Discussions on investment, policy, and the role of woody biomass in both New Zealand’s and Australia’s bioenergy future. Topics Covered Regional matters in forest biomass supply and demand Biomass resource pricing: Supplier Perspectives Wood energy market options: Buyers Options Key drivers for forest resources for energy Wood chipping and grinding innovations Residues recovery and logistics issues New bio-products for wood energy Bioenergy hub developments Biomass boiler innovations EECA perspectives As wood energy markets grow and diversify, industry producers attending this October conference can better understand the needs of their bioenergy customers. This year’s conference offers delegates the choice of two conferences running concurrently in the one place, with a new ‘Bioeconomy Innovations 2025’ programme added for this year only. Special early bird and group rates are available to those attending the event in Rotorua, New Zealand. Registrations can be made directly on the event website. There are a few complimentary places available, courtesy of WIDE Trust. The Wood Industry Development and Education (WIDE) Trust is investing in the education and development of the next generation of leaders. To qualify, you must be under the age of 35 years, not already registered and have not previously received a WIDE Trust place for any past FIEA events. These places will be offered on a first-come/first served basis – by contacting Gordon Thomson (gordon.thomson@innovatek.co.nz / 027 275 8022). More information at https://innovatek.co.nz/event/residues2revenues-2025/

The post Program release for Residues2Revenues event appeared first on Timberbiz.

DEECA is helping return native species such as Wiry Bossiaea, Creeping Grevillea and Wombat Bush-pea to the forest following the impacts of a severe storm in 2021. The storm impacted 45,000 hectares across the Wombat State Forest and resulted in a vast amount of fallen trees. Source: Timberbiz A mix of threatened native species are being propagated locally and are being re-planted at a selection of storm-damaged sites. “With the help of a local expert, we’ve chosen specific species that we want to thrive in the Wombat State Forest,” said DEECA Grampians Senior Superintendent, Brad Fernando. “Although they might eventually come back on their own, planting seedlings at these sites ensures that species that are special to the Wombat are supported.” The Wombat Bush-pea is almost exclusively found within the Wombat State Forest. “We’ve seen the bush pea returning on its own at some storm-damaged sites, which is fantastic, but this program supports the species’ long-term survival.” The native seedlings have been propagated according to local provenance. This means seeds are collected only from the local area, labelled with the precise location where they were collected, and then planted back in that same spot once they’ve been nurtured into viable seedlings. “For example, Dwarf Silver-wattle only occurs in the core of the forest, so it will only be planted at sites where it is naturally found,” said Mr Fernando. Some of the species currently being propagated include Grevillea repens; Pultenaea reflexifolia (Wombat Bush-pea); Bossiaea cordigera or Wiry Bossiaea; Acacia leprosa, also known as Cinnamon Wattle; and Dwarf Silver-wattle. The propagation supports recovery efforts in the forest, which includes removal of fallen debris in areas that are strategically important to fight potential fires, allowing firefighters and heavy machinery access. Planting native species is done as part of site rehabilitation when necessary. A similar planting program took place following storm recovery debris operations in 2024, with those seedlings showing a promising rate of survival. Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation are undertaking the planting alongside DEECA staff.

The post Helping threatened plant species in the Wombat State Forest appeared first on Timberbiz.

New home building approvals in the 2024/25 financial year were up by 13.9% compared with their 2023/24 trough, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics released for June 2025 covering all states and territories. Source: Timberbiz Detached house approvals increased by 6.1% in the financial year, while multi-unit approvals were up by 27.9%. HIA Senior Economist Tom Devitt said strong population growth, tight labour markets and recovering household incomes helped improve confidence in an increasing number of markets over the past 18 months, led by Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia. “Interest rate cuts from the Reserve Bank in February and May this year, with the expectation of more to come, will help bring more potential homebuyers back to the market in the lagging – and often more expensive – states and territories,” he said. “The challenge will be turning this modest improvement in conditions into the kind of recovery that will meet the Australian Government target of 1.2 million homes over five years. “In the 2024/25 financial year, the first year of the government’s five-year target, Australia approved just 187,330 new homes. Given that some approved projects don’t ever commence construction, the goal of commencing 240,000 homes per year remains a distant goal.” Mr Devitt said that even with lower interest rates, Australia was set to start just 200,000 homes per year, on average, over the next four years. “Multi-unit activity, in particular, needs to do more heavy lifting. Multi-unit commencements need to double from current levels in order to achieve the government’s housing targets,” he said. “This is unlikely to occur under current policies. Labour and land shortages, obstructionist regulations and punitive surcharges on institutional investors have pushed improving sentiment away from apartments back into the detached housing sector. “Sustained improvement in multi-units’ activity will need to come from a reduction in policy burdens on the sector, or a re-acceleration of home prices until new projects are viable against higher policy costs, the latter not boding well for affordability,” concluded Mr Devitt. Total new dwelling approvals in the 2024/25 financial year, in seasonally adjusted terms, increased in Western Australia by 32.3% and South Australia by 28.7%, followed by New South Wales (+16.0%), Queensland (+13.1%) and Victoria (+9.1%). Tasmania declined by 9.9%. In original terms, the Northern Territory increased by 22.5% while the Australian Capital Territory declined by 39.9%.

The post ABS stats show new building approvals up for the year appeared first on Timberbiz.

This week’s announcement by New Zealand’s Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden on reviewing the risks associated with Worker Exposure Standards for wood dust and machine guarding has been welcomed by the Wood Products and Manufacturing Association. Source: Timberbiz The proposed changes aim to ensure standards reflect real-world risks and align with international benchmarks. The NZ Government says manufacturers have said that the current rules are unclear and difficult to apply, leading to unnecessary costs and compliance burden. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said the proposed changes aim to ensure standards reflect real-world risks and align with international benchmarks. Manufacturers have said that the current rules are unclear and difficult to apply, leading to unnecessary costs and compliance burden. She said that as an example of the law’s confusion, a business owner told her they got conflicting advice from WorkSafe inspectors on identical machinery guarding in Auckland and Christchurch, deeming the same machine guarding to be compliant in one city but non-compliant in another city. Wood processors and manufacturers also gave feedback that they felt constrained by Workplace Exposure Standards that don’t reflect operational realities or international benchmarks. “Many described the current approach as overly rigid and unclear, with one participant saying the standards are ‘an overreaction to risk which will cripple the industry’.” The Workplace Exposure Standards for soft wood dust, hard wood dust, and welding fumes will be reviewed, with an aim to improve clarity and better align with international standards. “Businesses expressed frustration that the wood dust standard is impractical and not based on realistic risk assessments. They want a system that is both protective and practical, and these changes aim to provide that,” Ms van Velden said. WPMA Chief Executive Mark Ross said the current approach to workplace safety regulations in these areas had been described by WPMA members as inconsistent and therefore unclear. “Some businesses have invested tens of thousands of dollars in equipment and controls but still struggle to comply with standards that don’t align with international benchmarks or practical realities,” he said. “Wood processing businesses have expressed frustration that the softwood dust standard is impractical and not based on realistic risk assessments. They are wanting a system that is both protective and practical, and the changes announced by the Minister aim to provide that,” Mr Ross said. “When our wood processing businesses can focus on managing genuine risks rather than navigating complex and sometimes contradictory regulations, they can operate more efficiently, continue to keep their people safe, and contribute more effectively to our regional economy.” The Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association will be actively engaging with the consultation process and encourages members to participate and share their experiences. As the Minister states, simplifying machine guarding rules and reviewing the Workplace Exposure Standards will make it easier for people to do the right thing, without compromising safety. See: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/regulatory-relief-manufacturing-sector

The post NZ worker exposure standards for wood dust exposure appeared first on Timberbiz.

The author considers that current fire management approaches across SE Australia landscapes are failing and, in many cases, have failed. Source: John O’Donnell The current state and federal fire interval approaches focus on individual species, a large number of listed threatened flora and fauna species and communities, reduced fire return frequencies and inadequate assessment of the consequences of not burning. As an example, across NSW, prescribed burning of forested areas has an average of 0.6 % of forests per year over the last seven years. Prescribed burning in most states is at low levels, except for WA.  The graphs in the link article below highlight the value of prescribed burning in reducing bushfire extent across Australian states, the data is over 60 years. The adopted fire regimes and approaches result in widespread high intensity bushfires in these same areas where low intensity fires are restricted, and often result in major bushfire impacts, social and safety impacts, environmental impacts and economic impacts. It is essential that all the impacts and costs of failed and failing fire regimes in SE Australia and associated intense bushfires are assessed to adequately understand the scale of bushfire impacts, social and safety impacts, environmental impacts and economic impacts. This assessment has assessed the impacts of large and intense bushfires across SE Australia. Bushfire disaster impacts across SE Australia are outlined in Sections 2.1 to 2.5. Social and safety bushfire impacts across SE Australia are outlined in Sections 3.1 to 3.7. Environmental bushfire impacts across SE Australia are outlined in Sections 4.1 to 4.15. Economic bushfire impacts across SE Australia are outlined in Sections 5.1 to 5.5. The impacts are across 32 different impact areas, and intense and severe impacts for the majority of them. The scale of the combined impacts is very large.  It’s time for effective action to reduce intense bushfires across SE Australia. It is important that governments at all levels commence adequately addressing these impacts and utilise fire mitigation much better in scale, distribution and funding. Read the full paper here.

The post Assessment of the impacts of large, severe and intense bushfires across South East appeared first on Timberbiz.

Victoria’s farmers and landowners are being encouraged to take advantage of a new program to plant more trees on their farms – helping to boost timber supply, increase biodiversity and prevent soil erosion. Source: Timberbiz The new program is offering grants of up to $80,000 for landholders to plant trees on their property – providing long term solutions including boosting shade and shelter for livestock, improving stock and crop production, offsetting carbon emissions or generating income through carbon credits. Landholders will also be able to generate additional income through timber production, including from harvested wood products or use the timber for on-farm uses such as firewood and fence posts. Agriculture Minister Ros Spence yesterday launched the Victorian Trees on Farms Program at Parliament House alongside industry members at the Victorian Forest Products Association’s Timber Plantations showcase. An additional grants program – the Trees on Farms Incubator Program – is offering planting service providers and forestry professionals up to $50,000 to support landowners who might be contemplating planting trees on their property. This service will help landowners develop tailored, implementation-ready project plans to align with their property and planting goals, while providing education, training and upskilling for tree planting and management activities. “Victoria’s tree plantations are an essential resource – not only for our state’s biodiversity, but to support our housing pipeline, create regional jobs, and produce paper and packaging products to replace single use plastics,” Ms Spence said. “We’re supporting Victorian farmers and landholders to reap the benefits of planting trees on their farms, including improving grazing outcomes and offsetting carbon emissions.” For more information on the programs, visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/trees-on-farms

The post Victoria launches program for trees on farms to boost timber supply appeared first on Timberbiz.

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.

The post Opinion: Mick Harrington – a government manufactured wood shortage appeared first on Timberbiz.