Tonnes of flood-damaged firewood in Barmah Forest will now be made available to locals instead of being burnt by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).

The wood has been pushed into 70 large piles throughout the forest and a DEECA spokesperson says “the flood-affected wood is being assessed and will be used for habitat and environmental projects within the park.

“DEECA will also make some of the wood available to the public for firewood,” the spokesperson added.

Forty smaller piles of wood have already been put to the torch, but public outcry about the bigger piles also being burnt for no reason, plus approaches to DEECA by Yorta Yorta elders, has resulted in the change of direction.

However, final details are still to be released as the decision to make the wood available creates another round of challenges for DEECA.

By law, no wood can be gathered and removed from declared parks by members of the public, so the wood being made available will have to be collected by authorised staff and moved to a different location.

Then, decisions have to be made as to who gets access, how much they are allowed and where they will be able to collect it from.

When Nick Marijancevic, a long-term charcoal producer, heard about the wood, he went into the forest to see just how much there was.

He took photos of piles of wood in every direction and contacted DEECA for access for his business.

“At the very worst, if it was a no for me, I would have thought it was a logical next step would be to offer the wood to pensioners and those on lower incomes for heating during the frigid winter we are having,” Mr Marijancevic says.

“When I was told no-one could access it, I was horrified; it’s bureaucracy gone mad. If it is going to be burnt, why not burn it where it can do some good?” He says.

“I know it’s not the fault of local DEECA staff, they’re only doing what they’re told, but if people in Melbourne think this is the best outcome, it’s just crazy.”

A DEECA spokesperson initially said, “flood debris in the Barmah National Park will be burned during the coming weeks to clear strategic fire breaks ahead of this fire season.

“Strategic fire breaks help protect communities, and the environment, from future bushfires,” the spokesperson says.

“The flood-affected wood was assessed, and where possible, will be used for habitat, erosion control and other environmental projects within the Park.

“Firewood collection is not permitted in Barmah National Park or Barmah Island.”

The current price for a tonne of red gum firewood in Echuca-Moama is between $500 and $600.

The Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, says the DEECA decision to waste such a valuable resource had left him “gobsmacked”.

Mr Walsh says it is confirmation of the total disconnect between the citycentric Allan Labor Government and regional Victoria.

He says with Victoria’s soaring power bills – on top of the cost-of-living crisis – this much wood “offers a massive relief to people struggling to make ends meet.

“This is just another decision by a government which has transitioned from reality to its Greens-driven leftist fantasy land,” Mr Walsh says.

“If the wood is going to be burnt, and DEECA has already burnt some, commonsense would demand it be burnt effectively – and that would be heating homes or helping small local businesses actually stay in business,” he says.

“And I’m glad somewhere, somehow, that’s where we have finally arrived.

“It’s all very well people being told there are free firewood collection points twice a year, but if you live in my electorate, you face a minimum round trip of two hours. Make no mistake, the many people in northern Victoria who collect firewood for their own use don’t do it for a fun day out, they do it out of economic necessity.

“They do it because of the excessive burden of power bills or the high cost of bottled gas – and neither Premier Allan or any of her Ministers making these ridiculous rules have to front those people and tell them they are wrong to want this wood – the government is doing it for their benefit.

“What a joke.”

DEECA says financial assistance is available for vulnerable Victorians who rely on firewood.

It says there is “targeted energy support and concessions for people on low incomes who buy firewood or need assistance with their energy costs.”

This includes tailored support via the Energy Assistance Program, a $250 rebate for eligible households from the Energy Bill Relief Fund, payments of between $55 and $619 per year for eligible households relying on non-mains energy, including firewood for heating and cooking, and up to $650 via the Non-Mains Utility Relief Grant for Victorians on low incomes who rely on firewood as their only source of fixed heating.

More information about financial assistance is available for people on low incomes who buy firewood at www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood/energy-concession-and-support.

This article appeared in  The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 8 August 2024.