Except, Mr Walsh points out, for round trips of 100km or more, much more, because the nearest collection sites for Echuca, for example, are around Bendigo.
He says for people in Swan Hill looking for firewood, they face about a 380km trip to collect some fuel — but there’s always the risk wherever they go there might not be much wood to have justified the time and cost.
“I always encourage people to collect as much as possible, particularly after the winter just gone, as so few retail outlets were able to offer a regular supply of firewood and prices kept on climbing,” Mr Walsh added.
“I am always pleased to see the spring firewood season open as it gives locals the opportunity to collect firewood and help utilise free heating — just not locals in my electorate. Again,” he says.
“I also encourage anyone collecting firewood to think about their neighbours, who may also be driving hundreds of kilometres to secure some wood, and those who may benefit from firewood and spare some for them.
“While the two cubic metres per day per person is reasonable, the 16 cubic metres per household per financial year rule remains a disappointing restriction on firewood collection — especially when you look at the soaring cost of electricity and gas, and that’s assuming Daniel Andrews even lets you have gas shortly.
“Firewood collection is a great way to tidy our national parks and crown land, and also a bushfire preventative.”
Mr Walsh says he has become sick and tired of expressing his disappointment and frustration there are no locations easily accessible for Murray Plains residents.
He says there are plenty of firewood collection locations right through central Victoria, and he cannot understand how such a severe line can be plastered across the state leaving everything and everyone to the north with “absolutely nothing”.
“To force people to make these trips or one, or two or more hours to collection centres which might be empty is simply unacceptable,” Mr Walsh says.
“We should be giving fair and equal access to firewood for locals from the whole state — if you lived in Mildura, short of sneaking into NSW and nabbing some wood there, it would be an overnight trip to a collection point further south and that is ridiculous,” he added.
“On your behalf I will continue to pressure the Environment Minister to make the appropriate changes to fix this farce of a program.”
More information, including collection locations and regulations, can be found on the website: https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood/find-a-firewood-collection-area
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