POLICE across the Gannawarra and Swan Hill regions are cracking down on the theft of firewood from local forests as part of Taskforce Ironbark.
Victoria Police, Parks Victoria and Conservation Regulator Victoria are aiming to stop the illegal commercial removal from public land, as part of a joint statewide operation.
Police say last year thieves damaged or destroyed more than 9200 native trees and cleared close to 462 hectares of public land across the state – the equivalent of more than 178 MCGs.
Much of that illegally sourced firewood is then sold on to unsuspecting buyers looking to battle cost-of-living pressures during the winter months.
But with their purchase Victorians may be unknowingly supporting individuals who are destroying the habitats of our native fauna.
Swan Hill Police acting inspector Brian Hansen said the joint operation brought together the capabilities of those looking to keep our state forests untouched.
“This time of year is renowned for wood theft in some of our local state forest areas,” Inspecto Hansen said.
“We are particularly looking in the Gannawarra area – down in the Gunbower State Forest is a certain spot.
“We are working closely with our partners at Parks Victoria and Forest Fire Management Victoria, utilising all of our capabilities to catch and prosecute those who are illegally sourcing firewood.
“These people are not only performing and gaining from an illegal activity but they’re also potentially putting legitimate operators out of business as well.”
Inspector Hansen said the taskforce was utilising a range of means to catch the offenders, in person and online.
“These people aren’t difficult to find,” he said.
“They are usually all-over social media and the local buy and sell pages – we are reviewing these pages to get some good leads.
“We also have some covert capabilities that we use within the forest.
“We’ve just had some recent arrests around this.
“We are in a position in the Gannawarra Local Government area now where we have experienced an influx of police numbers.
“This has allowed us to run a night-shift every now and down that way, we will be utilising those resources to assist in the operation.
“We’ll be out and about, and it’s pretty easy to find these people out there – there’s not usually too many lights out there, so they stick out quite a bit.”
Offenders found to be illegally cutting and removing timber from public land face maximum penalties of more than $9879 and/or 12 months in prison for each charge.
Vehicles, trailers, chainsaws and other tools used in the illegal firewood theft can also be seized by the taskforce.
Parks Victoria senior manager enforcement Mark Breguet said “illegal firewood theft is devastating our local parks, forests, wildlife, and cultural heritage”.
“With nearly 10,000 trees destroyed last year alone, the impact is far-reaching, threatening the survival of native species and damaging irreplaceable Aboriginal cultural sites,” he said.
“Taskforce Ironbark is targeting these illegal activities and raising awareness among Victorians about the importance of sourcing firewood responsibly.
“By making informed choices, we can all help protect our parks and the vital habitats they provide.”
Victorians can assist in the operation by reporting suspicious firewood sellers or the theft of firewood from public land to DEECA on 136 186.
