Marathon trek to collect firewood

By Darren Linton

Mar 10, 2022

Scarce resource: A collection point at Rushworth has been designated ‘local residents only’ forcing Barmah and Nathalia residents to drove for hours to access firewood. Photo by Contributed

State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has slammed new rules imposed by the Victorian Government that severely limits access to firewood for residents of Barmah and Nathalia.

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New firewood collections rules that came into force on March 1 prevent Moira Shire residents from accessing firewood at their nearest designated firewood collection point close to Rushworth.

Rushworth is one of a several collection points designated for local residents only.

Instead, Ms Lovell said residents reliant on firewood to heat their homes and cook their meals in towns such as Barmah faced a more than three-hour round trip to collect wood at Swanpool.

Speaking during an adjournment in state parliament Ms Lovell said the omission of Moira as an authorised LGA to collect firewood at Rushworth was blatantly unfair considering the lack of conventional energy sources such as natural gas throughout the shire.

Ms Lovell said Moira Shire towns such as Barmah did not have a natural gas supply and residents had been collecting firewood locally for decades.

“Labor’s ban on firewood collection in the Barmah National Park last year severely impacted on many Moira Shire residents, who were forced to travel to Alf’s Dam near Rushworth to get their wood,” she said.

“Now that option has been taken away from them for no reason other than the local government area they live in, and I call on the minister to reverse this ridiculous ban immediately.”

The 2022 autumn firewood collection season opened on March 1 and closes on June 30.

By Darren Linton

Shepparton News chief correspondent