Dean Adams, Julie Pridmore and Dean Marsland have been angered by the plan to burn the piles of timber in Barmah National Park.
A Victorian Government department is reviewing its plans to burn hundreds of tonnes of fallen timber in Barmah National Park, following pressure from the public.
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Residents have demanded to know why it was not going to be made available as firewood.
The department has created more than 150 piles of timber in the red gum forest, much of which was generated by the 2022 floods.
Country News counted 100 stacks of timber along a 3.7km section of track on Tuesday, July 30. Dozens more were located further along the track.
The large piles of timber are beside a boundary track and Country News understands it was part of an attempt to create a fire break.
Forest Fire Management Victoria had signs advertising it was planning to conduct fire break burns in September.
However on Thursday, August 1, a Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action spokesperson said it was working with Parks Victoria and the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation to determine if some of the wood can be made available to the public for firewood.
The wood was also being assessed to see what could be used for habitat and environmental projects within the park.
“Works to clear flood debris within strategic fire breaks in the Barmah National Park are being undertaken ahead of the fire season,” the spokesperson said.
State Member for Northern Victoria Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell welcomed the turnaround by DEECA, but challenged the department to follow through.
“DEECA’s statement that they are working to determine if the wood should be made available to the public for firewood is a step in the right direction but is too open-ended and needs to be more definitive,” Mrs Tyrrell said.
“If there is a concern that damage will be done to the forest when people access wood, the piles of wood should be re-located close to roads for easy accessibility.
“While DEECA’s comments are positive, the new policy needs to be unambiguous and allow locals access to collect this firewood.
“Thinking ahead to the future, if the government won’t allow residents into the forest to access wood for themselves, I call on them to implement a policy to gather fallen wood such as this and deliver it to a central point within local towns for community access.”
Residents were worried that the whole lot was going to be burned — destroying habitat for native animals, releasing carbon into the atmosphere and denying firewood access for people with combustion heaters.
Residents are not permitted to remove timber from national parks.
“If it’s going to be burned anyway, couldn’t they let people have access to it?,” regular bush visitor Dean Marsland told Country News on Tuesday.
“It’s a waste of a resource and a waste of resources for the people who have to monitor the burn.”
A planned burn notice near the piles of timber in Barmah National Park.
Picola resident Julie Pridmore said things have been difficult between Parks Victoria and the local community.
“This was an ideal opportunity to do a goodwill thing and help mend relationships,” she said.
“I know an older lady in Bearii, who doesn’t even have an electric stove. She needs wood for heating and cooking and can’t get firewood.”
The department’s about-face was welcomed by Ms Pridmore, and she said she was pleased to see common sense prevailed.
Barmah township resident Dean Adams says he uses between 16 and 20 cubic metres of wood between April and October and struggles to find local sources of firewood.
He said the tough restrictions on firewood collection helped create a black market.
He could’t believe DEECA and Parks Victoria were going to burn the piles of timber.
One of the piles of wood beside a track on the edge of Barmah National Park.
Mrs Tyrrell has campaigned for better access to firewood collection points for Moira Shire residents.
She raised the issue again in State Parliament in the wake of the decision to burn the wood which should be made available to local residents.
Speaking during the adjournment debate directed to Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos, Mrs Tyrrell said Moira Shire residents had been crying out for a firewood collection point close by, currently forced to drive hours to the nearest designated firewood collection point.
“Moira Shire residents have been forced to either pay excessive prices to buy firewood or travel hours out of their way to be able to collect it themselves and need a firewood collection point closer to their homes,” she said.
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