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Ingram: time for State Government to act on firewood

Independent MP for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has again called on the State Government to provide assurances for small volume commercial firewood cutters and consumers on the availability of firewood at reasonable prices.

By Craig Ingram - 2nd December 2005 - Back to News

Independent MP for Gippsland East, Craig Ingram, has again called on the State Government to provide assurances for small volume commercial firewood cutters and consumers on the availability of firewood at reasonable prices

"Firewood cutters harvest the waste wood from timber coupes after the sawlog and pulp wood is extracted and before the coupe is burnt for regeneration," Mr Ingram explained.

"In the transfer of licensing responsibilities from DSE to VicForests, small volume commercial firewood cutters who cut less than 850 cubic metres of firewood from State Forest logging coupes may be forced out of the bush.

"The new tendering arrangements and VicForests’ strict commercial focus, along with placing expensive OHS auditing requirements, will make many of the small to medium firewood cutters an unviable business.

"To remove this small volume licence access to the forests will have an enormous impact on the individuals involved and will also place at risk the availability of firewood to the consumers they supply."

Mr Ingram predicts the increase in cost and compliance being imposed by DSE and VicForests on legitimate operators will lead to a greater black-market approach to firewood harvesting and selling than the high level of poaching that currently exists, further undermining the licensed cutters.

"The government must resolve this situation by simplifying the compliance procedure and proved assistance to cutters particularly on the remote smaller communities to continue to operate.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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