A 39-year-old Kyneton man has been convicted and fined $3000 after pleading guilty to two charges related to illegal firewood cutting from public land at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court last week.

On Friday 16 February 2024, the man admitted to damaging wildlife habitat and illegally cutting native red stringybark trees in the Metcalfe State Forest in September 2022.

Parks Victoria and Conservation Regulator Authorised Officers investigated, with assistance from Victoria Police and the Game Management Authority, after the man was caught on concealed cameras using a chainsaw to illegally cut timber in the forest. The cameras were installed as part of the Parks Victoria-led Operation Centaur targeting the illegal removal of critical habitat and hollow-bearing trees on public land in the Central Highlands.

In sentencing on Friday, Magistrate Aumair outlined the importance of deterring this kind of illegal behaviour and reiterated that there are lawful ways and times to collect firewood for personal use and that permits are available for commercial purposes.

When a tree is cut into blocks or fallen and decaying logs are removed from the ground, their habitat values are destroyed. The Metcalfe State Forest is home to a range of native wildlife that rely on tree hollows for shelter, nesting, and protection from predators, including sugar gliders and yellow-footed antechinus, as well as white-throated treecreepers and bougainville skinks. 

Firewood can only be collected from designated domestic firewood collection areas during collection seasons and can only be used for personal use. For details of where, when and what firewood can be collected, visit www.ffm.vic.gov.au/firewood/firewood-collection-in-your-region

For more information about firewood regulation in Victoria, visit www.vic.gov.au/collecting-firewood

Community assistance and information is crucial to investigating environmental crime and we encourage community members to report any illegal cutting or removal of firewood to Parks Victoria on 131 963 or the Conservation Regulator on 136 186.

Quote attributable to Mathew Sobey, Parks Victoria Ranger Team Leader: 

“The loss of these native habitat trees for personal gain is devastating and it will take hundreds of years to replace them, which is why offenders face significant fines or jail time. The court result sends a clear message that illegal firewood theft for personal or commercial gain will not be tolerated on Victoria’s public land.” 
 
Quote attributable to Phuong Tran, Senior Forest and Wildlife Officer, Conservation Regulator:

“Illegal firewood theft seriously impacts wildlife habitat, forest health, and community resources, and this serious habitat damage will have lasting environmental consequences in the region. This conviction should serve as a reminder that authorities are committed to finding and penalising offenders.”