The 32-year-old was ordered to pay $43,030 on February 3 for illegally collecting firewood, destroying wildlife habitat and driving off-road in the Stanley State Forest in 2021.
He was found guilty of 14 offences under the Land Conservation (Vehicle Control) Regulations 2013, Wildlife Regulations 2013 and Forests Act 1958 and ordered to pay $6500 in fines, $131.50 in statutory costs and $36,399.35 to cover the regulator’s legal fees.
The man was captured on concealed cameras driving off-road through the Stanley State Forest with a ute full of cut timber and a chainsaw on three separate occasions in September 2021.
Conservation Regulator authorised officers caught him chopping up a freshly felled dead tree into firewood rounds on a roadside near Bowmans Forest in October 2021.
In sentencing at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Ian Watkins noted the importance of protecting state forests and the serious damage the offences cause to the environment.
In addition to the financial penalty, the man was ordered to forfeit the two chainsaws authorised officers seized from him in October 2021.
The area in the Stanley State Forest where the man was also caught driving illegally and collecting firewood is a special protection zone — home to threatened species, including the brush-tailed phascogale, southern greater gliders and brown treecreepers.
“Anyone breaking firewood collection rules should see this as a warning, you will be caught and the penalties are serious,” Conservation Regulator Hume Regulatory manager Greg Chant said.
“We will seize items used to collect firewood illegally including chainsaws, trailers and vehicles and seek to have them forfeited to the Crown.
“Designated firewood collection areas and firewood collection limits protect the environment, essential habitat for native animals and community firewood resources.
“Following these rules helps to maintain healthy forests that we can all benefit from now and into the future.”
The community is encouraged to report suspected illegal firewood collection by phoning 136 186.
Information about firewood collection rules can be found at: https://www.vic.gov.au/collecting-firewood
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