VIC - Campers and homeowners banned from collecting FIREWOOD in NP and public lands

[NissanGQ4.2]

Man you guys are way behind NSW in these things, I'm pretty sure collecting firewood in National Parks had been banned in NSW since before I was born 40 odd years ago


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3516498/People-banned-collecting-wood-national-parks-campsites-northern-Victoria.html

So just remember no more enjoying campfires unless you cart all your wood from home or buy it from the servo on the way in

[the evil twin]

I have no problem with that Ban at all esp where the amount of wood collected affects habitat etc.

Along the Murray there would probably be no way in the world that the deadfall etc from trees would meet the demands... so controlling the areas where collection is allowed is a great idea.

Collection bans and/or designmated collection areas are everywhere over here in WA and work quite well.

[threedogs]

That sucks big ones, dont think Ive ever been camping without a fire.
Gas stoves and 12v flood lights it is then

[the evil twin]

That sucks big ones, dont think Ive ever been camping without a fire.
Gas stoves and 12v flood lights it is then

Pffft... It's not a fire ban... just a where'd ya get the wood ban
Over here, in the South West, depending on which shire, Camp fires are totally banned for 4 to 6 months of the year

[mudnut]

It'll do two things, the people that don't give a stuff will continue, and the people bringing their own wood will spread fungus and pests.

[threedogs]

Sheep Yards Flat is a good eg, there is not a twig
or tree root within 5 K of this Iconic camp ground.
This particular trip while stopping for a toilet break.
we decided to fill my trailer with any wood along the way.
Very glad we did to

[Cuppa]

It'll do two things, the people that don't give a stuff will continue, and the people bringing their own wood will spread fungus and pests.

You're probably right Craig ............ so this seems to leave a choice between locking it up or seeing it degraded further over time. Maybe guidelines regarding storage of brought in wood & an expectation that any not burned is removed would be wise. Whatever is required to ensure future generations have what we have had is ok by me.

An ongoing high profile campaign against thoughtless vandalism by selfish tossers may help the majority who value what we have to apply peer pressure to reduce unsustainable damage by the few.

[Touses]

General rule in Qld nat' parks is you cannot collect at all and if you bring it in it must be clean milled timber. If you are allowed a fire at all.
State forests are still open slather to collect from. Makes a little sense, ie less forest floor fuel in fire season.

[threedogs]

Pffft... It's not a fire ban... just a where'd ya get the wood ban
Over here, in the South West, depending on which shire, Camp fires are totally banned for 4 to 6 months of the year

As soon as summer arrives there is a total fire ban across the river for the whole of summer.[NSW]
seems a bit odd as we on the Vic side were having huge bon fires.
I dont mind cooking with gas and and sitting around in some form of 12v lights
but it seems un fair not to be able to light a fire at your camp imo.
Now all the Servos will ask a fortune for a small bag of timber.
20kg for $12 at Bunnings may be the way of the future and you get
a neat bag to store your camp oven in to boot.
Might have to shoot Janderson a Pm about where to get some timber lol

[janderson]

I have no problem with that Ban at all esp where the amount of wood collected affects habitat etc.

Along the Murray there would probably be no way in the world that the deadfall etc from trees would meet the demands... so controlling the areas where collection is allowed is a great idea.

Collection bans and/or designmated collection areas are everywhere over here in WA and work quite well.

You are very wrong. In the Barmah National Park and along the river there is plenty of fallen wood. Up here we only have wood for heating and a lot still cook and heat water with it. In the country electricity is to expensive (we pay a higher price than those in the city's). We don't have Natural Gas. Bottle Gas is also expensive. Around $130 45 liter bottle. In the city a pensioner gets a discount with every gas bill for gas used. Pensioners in the country do not get a rebate on Gas until they have bought 3 bottle. So we pay in advanced before we get the rebate were in city's its after it is used. Even with the rebate it's still a lot more expensive. So for us in the country we use wood for heating and a lot of people even depend on it to cook. This has been happening for 100's of years and our life span is still increasing.

[janderson]

Has always been illegal to collect firewood in vic national parks. The murray ban is new and probably fair if you look at with an open mind. The forest floors there are clean as a whistle. I heard a representative of the firewood industry explaining on radio the other day that licenced collectors must leave the area theyre harvesting in covered in debris. It looks messy but is good for the habitat.

Who told you that forest floors there are clean as a whistle, I call that BS. Red Gums have shallow roots and due to the bush now being flooded every year the old ones just fall over, Red Gums also drop large limbs often

[janderson]

As soon as summer arrives there is a total fire ban across the river for the whole of summer.[NSW]
seems a bit odd as we on the Vic side were having huge bon fires.
I dont mind cooking with gas and and sitting around in some form of 12v lights
but it seems un fair not to be able to light a fire at your camp imo.
Now all the Servos will ask a fortune for a small bag of timber.
20kg for $12 at Bunnings may be the way of the future and you get
a neat bag to store your camp oven in to boot.
Might have to shoot Janderson a Pm about where to get some timber lol


Lisa Neville MP
30 March at 21:13 ·
There is no ban on firewood collection from public land in Victoria.
This about putting locals first and we make no apology for that.
In north Victoria, where supplies are running out, local residents and concession card holders will have priority access to free firewood.
We are working to ensure that people who rely on firewood continue to have access to this fuel for heating and cooking this winter and beyond.
We are also working with the local community through information sessions. One has already been held in Nathalia and additional sessions are planned for Shepparton and Mildura.
Further to this, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has also commenced the Northern Victoria Firewood and Home Heating Project (NVFHHP) which aims to work with communities to identify energy sources other than red gum firewood.
Residents in the River Red Gum areas who are reliant on firewood for heating or cooking are encouraged to contact DELWP at NVFHHProject@delwp.vic.gov.au.
This is only an issue for communities along the Murray and Goulburn. Other regions are not affected.

[the evil twin]

You are very wrong. In the Barmah National Park and along the river there is plenty of fallen wood. Up here we only have wood for heating and a lot still cook and heat water with it. In the country electricity is to expensive (we pay a higher price than those in the city's). We don't have Natural Gas. Bottle Gas is also expensive. Around $130 45 liter bottle. In the city a pensioner gets a discount with every gas bill for gas used. Pensioners in the country do not get a rebate on Gas until they have bought 3 bottle. So we pay in advanced before we get the rebate were in city's its after it is used. Even with the rebate it's still a lot more expensive. So for us in the country we use wood for heating and a lot of people even depend on it to cook. This has been happening for 100's of years and our life span is still increasing.

Go back...
Read the Article...
Read the replies here in the context of the Article...
Apply comprehensions skills...
Post reply in same context...
Informed logical debate continues...
Oh, wait, it's the Internet, disregard the above.

[taslucas]

I have no idea about the rules in tassie and I doubt there are any areas where collection (for camping) is banned but I do know that the more popular the area, then the further you need to go to get wood. So I agree that the above would be a good idea. Unfortunately the rate at which timber naturally falls on the ground is slower than the rate popular camp sites burn through it.

>>>tappin from tassie

[janderson]

I hope this explains the situation.
Barmah National Park is 70,000-acre, Established‎ in 2010. Before this it was a State Park used by many including the bush workers that installed and maintained the tracks, bridge's ect. When National Parkes took it from the community's that live along the boundary we were promised that we would always have access to firewood for domestic use. The Park was taken over with only 3 years of funding. Now there's no money left so there is now no maintenance to tracks or infrastructure. Tracks gone to being overgrown, bridge's pulled out or fallen down ect.
Earlier this year we had a fire in the NP. The CFA, DELWP & sParks Vic were unable to reach it due to fallen trees ect on the tracks. All they could do was watch it until the morning when they finally found a bulldozer to clear the tracks. Lucky for us a creek stoped it from spreading to far, however we lost many old gums.
Now as for no wood in there. No, not much where people camp as they are allowed to collect firewood from any ware at any time. The areas that don't have many campers there is plenty. If you go deep in to the bush there is an abundance laying about. Last Autumn I cut my 16 cubic meters of one fallen tree. But had 3 muddy creek crossing to get to it. Visitors and Campers don't go to these areas.
Don't forget the local's now more about the bush that anyone, we also know many areas that visitors will never find. How many know of the hut and where it is? Even the Rangers don't know about it.
Each year we have an Autumn and a Spring domestic food season. Normally for 3 months but for the last few years this have been reduced. One Spring we only had 1 month. We are only allowed to collect a maxim of 16 cubic meters per household per year. We are also restricted to 2 meters per trip/day. We are designated an area that we are only allowed to use. I live 1km from the NP but in 13 years my minim travel has been 60km return. The current wood coup is 100km return.
Up here we only have wood for heating and a lot still cook and heat water with it. In the country electricity is to expensive (we pay a higher price than those in the city's). We don't have Natural Gas. Bottle Gas is also expensive. Around $130 45 litre bottle. In the city a pensioner gets a discount with every gas bill for gas used. Pensioners in the country do not get a rebate on Gas until they have bought 3 bottle. So we pay in advanced before we get the rebate were in city's its after it is used. Even with the rebate it's still a lot more expensive. So for us in the country we use wood for heating and a lot of people even depend on it to cook.

[threedogs]

Where I go at Dave's Camp on the Murray close to Bearii there has always been fallen timber to
retrieve and burn. Sometimes a clown will cut down a Living tree for next time but not often and not us.
I've been going here for over 10 years so far and as I said there is always fallen timber thats dead
and burns very well indeed, You can even hear them fall during the day and night, very loud lol

[mudski]

Sheep Yards Flat is a good eg, there is not a twig
or tree root within 5 K of this Iconic camp ground.
This particular trip while stopping for a toilet break.
we decided to fill my trailer with any wood along the way.
Very glad we did to

Just gotta look better. Never had an issue there. Most people don't look too far from the road I find. I found this last week at Dargo. There was a few other campers nearby, they all took off with a trailer to get wood. An hour later they were back with some, not a lot though. They said to me that because it was busy of the easter weekend its harder to find. I just grabbed my chainsaw, walked across the road and up the hill not even 50 meters and there was oodles of wood to be cut. Dragged back a few long lengths t camp, cut them up and I was set.
Never heard of the ban in Vic National Parks though.
My last trip up Cobram way there was so much dead wood around I can see it being a real fire risk during summer. Like this property I looked at near AB's. Bloody beautiful area, awesome house. But.One of their rules was you wern't allowed to collect any fallen or dead wood from the ground. The amount of wood on the ground was astonishing and my first thought was the fire season. We would spend half the season living somewhere else in fear of being natures marsh mellow. No thanks.

[janderson]

All taken between Haynes Rd (Sharps Gate) & Black Engine Track which is a popular camping area along the Murray.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDNyxpOqM_A&feature=youtu.be

[threedogs]

No wonder I like going up there, I have a great fishing honey hole along
Haynes RD

[NissanGQ4.2]

All taken between Haynes Rd (Sharps Gate) & Black Engine Track which is a popular camping area along the Murray.


How much for Delivery 2 Sydney Jeff *L*

[janderson]

How much for Delivery 2 Sydney Jeff *L*

maybe just a little far, lol