Letter to the editor – Firewood collection now a privilege

Never in my life did I think that accessing firewood would become a privilege that only a small number of our community could enjoy year-round.

While I am grateful to have my husband David chopping wood for me and my family to use, too many people are unable to do the same.

Collection periods are not open long enough and limit picking up firewood to small areas spread across the state, the native timber industry has been shut down, and roadside collections are banned.

If VicForests, which supplied more than 37,000 cubic meters of last year’s firewood supply suddenly drops out of the market, it only follows that we can expect demand and prices to rise further.

Firewood is so essential for cooking and heating, especially with astronomical energy costs continuing to rise.

From June 2022 to June 2023, electricity prices increased by approximately 28 per cent in Victoria, significantly more than the rest of the country.

Sadly, with these changes, people are having to choose between feeding their families or powering their homes, and that is a decision nobody should have to make.