Firewood collection on public land
Autumn 2013 firewood collection season is open from 8 March 2013 to 30 June 2013
Firewood collection areas will be available on the collection area web page from Thursday 7 March 2013.
Firewood collection on public land
Firewood collection from public land is now more affordable and straightforward for the community. Collection of firewood for domestic use from State forests (and those parks where collection is allowed) no longer requires a permit.
Seasons and collection areas apply to safeguard our forests and parks and mitigate safety risks.
Collection areas
Firewood collection is only allowed in designated domestic firewood collection areas. These are clearly marked by signs.
Domestic Firewood Collection Sign
[PDF File - 160.9 KB]
Domestic Firewood Collection Sign (accessible)
[MS Word Document - 141.0 KB]
Rules apply when collecting domestic firewood.
Collection areas are located, where possible, to avoid sites of environmental and cultural significance, and to make use of the by-products of activities such as commercial timber harvesting and road construction.
Domestic firewood collection is not permitted within VicForests commercial timber harvesting coupes. These coupes will be marked by signs from VicForests advising that they are unavailable to the public.
Collection Seasons
Firewood collection is only allowed in the autumn season (1 March – 30 June) and the spring season (1 September – 30 November).
If there is a fire danger risk before 30 November or after 1 March, the relevant firewood collection season may be shortened.
The seasons are consistent across the state and aim to minimise risks to people, the environment and infrastructure by avoiding firewood collection during winter and during the highest fire hazard periods.
Roadside collection
Management of roadside vegetation remains with the road management authority, usually VicRoads or local government. Permission from local government is needed for the collection of firewood from roadsides under their management. VicRoads do not currently allow firewood collection on roadsides they manage.
Roadside collection of firewood in State forests is only allowed in a designated firewood collection area.
Legislation governing domestic firewood collection
The Forests Act 1958 and the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 (for Shepparton Regional Park) and associated regulations establish the rules for domestic firewood collection without a permit. There are significant penalties for offences under those Acts, in particular fines up to $7042 or up to 1 year imprisonment or both.
Further information
Factsheet firewood Collection on public land
[PDF File - 1.6 MB]
Factsheet firewood Collection on public land (accessible)
[MS Word Document - 3.5 MB]
For further information or assistance call the DEPI Customer Service Centre on 136 186.
Please note: Document(s) on this page are presented in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, you can download a copy free from the Adobe web site.