Illegal firewood trade harming WA forests and hurting businesses

Locals say illegal firewood trade harms Western Australia's southern forests In short: Residents say illegal firewood gathering is hurting the landscape and undercutting businesses across WA's South West forests. Donnybrook residents say large-scale harvesting, including the felling of growing trees, is causing significant disruption. What's next? The Shire of Donnybrook Balingup is to investigate methods to protect its forests from illegal firewood collection. Residents of Western Australia's southern forests say illegal firewood gathering is harming the landscape and undercutting legitimate businesses. The removal of firewood from non-designated areas of national parks, nature reserves and conservation estates is illegal across WA, carrying penalties of up to $500,000 or 12 months' imprisonment. A Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) spokesperson said in the past three years there had been 116 cautions, infringements and prosecutions for unlawfully taking forest produce in the South West. But locals, residents and businesses say enforcement is next to non-existent, with illegal harvesting having a significant impact on the landscape. Habitat trees 'gone forever' Donnybrook local Colleen Bandy said she had heard chainsaws and increasingly noticed cut trees in the bush near her home. "We're seeing more and more people coming, and felling live Jarrah trees and taking them away for firewood, and it's not a firewood collecting area," she said. She said she was devastated by the loss of habitat. "I cry when I see beautiful big habitat trees that have been felled," she said. "Mainly it's just the trunks that have been taken, the branches are left there. "There's hollows in them that the birds and possums live in and they're just gone, gone forever." Impacts on business Geoff North is a farm forester in Walpole, about a 212 kilometre drive south of Donnybrook, and sells parts of his trees to firewood merchants. He said the sale of illegal firewood was undercutting legitimate business. "I'm directly competing with people who illegally source it," he said. "Obviously, if someone's just able to go and collect it for free illegally, well, it's just got to make it hard for my customers to sell their wood at a decent return," he said. Mr North said illegal firewood collection was a longstanding issue. "I've known for years that it happens," he said. "I can hear chainsaws around the bush here too. I think it's pretty common knowledge that people go and help themselves to firewood." Council taking action Community leaders are now looking to take more direct action to protect local forests from illicit harvesting. The Shire of Donnybrook Balingup unanimously supported the decision at a meeting last week, voting for its chief executive officer to deliver a report on the issue. Councillor Anita Lindemann, who brought the issue to the council's attention, said she had seen multiple trees cut at the base in areas close to town. Her motion also detailed chainsaws heard in non-collection areas, cars making their own tracks through the bush and "little management" of the sale of wood online. "I've been walking in these areas and running in those areas surrounding Donnybrook within a 5 kilometre radius of the township for the past 15 years," she said. "I've observed a noticeable increase in firewood collection and the felling of old trees in these non-designated firewood collection areas." A DBCA spokesperson said firewood could only be collected from approved areas of state forest in the Perth Hills and the South West. "During the autumn and winter period, DBCA undertakes targeted patrols of known illegal firewood collection hotspots," they said. "Fallen tree limbs and other naturally occurring woody debris play an important role in the ecosystem by providing habitat, nutrients and food for a variety of wildlife."