The Rural City of Wangaratta’s firewood depots at Glenrowan and Eldorado are set to open this week. This in line with the Country Fire Association’s announcement that the North East region’s Fire Danger Period has been lifted.
Council’s firewood depots at Glenrowan on Park Road off Rifle Range Road, and Eldorado between Main Street and Tresize Street, will open to the community from 8.30am on Thursday 2 May. Those planning to gather timber are advised to firstly check the depots to make sure there is timber available, then purchase a permit from the Eldorado Store, Glenrowan Post Office or from the Wangaratta Government Centre. The cost of a permit is $23.70 and $16 for concession card holders, this allows for collection of up to 2 cubic metres.
Firewood at the depots has been sustainably sourced with timber salvaged from storm events, Council works, and plantation timber. A chainsaw is required to cut wood into a manageable size and safety measures must be adhered to when collecting from the depots.
Wood available from the depots is green and generally requires seasoning for 12 months before it is suitable for burning so people are encouraged to plan ahead. Burning green firewood should be avoided as it will produce more smoke, is harder to light and burn, will not provide as much heat, and it can also cause chimneys and flues to become blocked.
In addition to polluting the air, smoke from firewood can also be harmful to our health. Using and maintaining wood heaters correctly can reduce wood smoke pollution. Some tips to help avoid this include:
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Use dry and seasoned timber with a moisture content below 20%.
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Store your firewood undercover, in a dry place.
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Have your flue cleaned. A build-up of soot can cause fires in the flue and will affect air flow.
Timber from the firewood depots is for domestic use only, it is an offence to on-sell, and penalties apply. Due to the timber’s limited availability permits are available only to residents of the Rural City of Wangaratta. To ensure fair access for residents a daily limit is set at 2 cubic metres with an annual limit of 6 cubic metres per household.
Accessing firewood from Council depots without a permit will result in a fine. Council monitors the depots and has recently fined people for taking firewood without a permit.
Collection of firewood from roadsides and reserves managed by Council and Regional Roads Victoria is prohibited and penalties apply for illegal collection. Roadside collection is only allowed on the specific roads listed by Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) in State forests during Autumn and Spring collection periods. Directions and more information on the FFMV collection areas can be found here www.ffm.vic.gov.au or call 136 186.