$9,800 fine warning after Aussie driver gets bogged in bushland
The man was driving a rented 4WD at about 5am on Thursday when he got stuck in mud near Reedy Lake in Victoria's Nagambie Wildlife Reserve, the state's Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA) said. Inside a tandem trailer, officers allege they discovered a load of recently cut Red River Gum timber, and another "freshly felled" tree nearby.
The trailer and its contents, along with two chainsaws, were confiscated.
While it is Illegal to cut up trees from national parks for firewood, numerous states have reported an annual spike in offences during the winter months, prompting officers to ramp up patrols. In Victoria, Taskforce Ironbark, a state-wide initiative led by the Conservation Regulator in partnership with Parks Victoria, has been established to crack down on commercial firewood thieves taking wood from public land. Offenders caught in the act face steep fines between $814 and $9,879.
Victorians can legally collect free firewood for personal use from designated collection areas in state forests during the autumn and spring firewood collection seasons. Rules apply around where, when, what and how much wood can be collected.
The latest incident comes after another man was intercepted twice in one day by authorities near Reedy Lake on July 2. During a targeted patrol, the man was allegedly caught in the act of cutting up a recently felled River Red Gum tree on the dry lakebed, according to DEECA. Despite being issued a series of infringement notices, the same man was allegedly seen returning to the area that night, prompting officers to seize his trailer, the timber and a chainsaw.
"We are working with Parks Victoria and Victoria Police to disrupt illegal firewood harvesting across Victoria and prevent further damage to this ecologically and culturally significant area," Greg Chant with the Conservation Regulator said.
"The message to black market firewood operators is that if you're caught illegally harvesting timber from public land for commercial sale, you will be held accountable for the environmental damage, and risk facing prosecution and losing your vehicles and equipment."
A couple of weeks ago, two more Victorians were allegedly caught by police "loading freshly cut and split timber" into a tandem trailer in a pre-dawn sting at the Wandong Regional Park.
Protected Red River Gums are vital for the environment
Red River Gums — alive or dead — are vital to the environment and are protected by law, making it illegal for them to be chopped down. The trees provide critical roosting habitat for local threatened species, DEECA said.
Authorities have reminded people that logs, branches and leaf litter aren't waste; they serve as critical habitats and nutrients. Removing them clears away vital shelter and breeding grounds, damages soil health, and impedes natural decomposition, undermining ecosystem function. For live trees, removing vegetation destroys habitat, disturbs native species, and fractures the interconnected web of forest life.
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Illegal felling of trees 'often undertaken by black market operators'
Taskforce Ironbark Manager Brady Childs previously told Yahoo News the "systematic illegal felling of trees for firewood" is often undertaken by black market operators "with full knowledge that the activities are illegal".
"The Conservation Regulator's intelligence sources, including community reports, confirm firewood theft occurs all year round, with a significant spike in activity leading into and during winter," he said.
Childs said the taskforce targets firewood theft hotspots, working with other regulators both within Victoria and interstate.
Officers can issue on-the-spot fines exceeding $814 for breaches of firewood collection rules. More serious offences can attract penalties of up to $9,879 and 12 months' imprisonment.
The issue is occurring all around the country, prompting both Queensland and New South Wales to issue alerts last month. The Queensland government warned residents against committing the illegal act after a ute driver was allegedly caught on camera filling up his tray with logs.
The Hunter Local Land Services, a division of the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has warned significant fines are in place for anyone caught "removing timber or disturbing vegetation" on the state's Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) network.
TSRs are sections of publicly owned land in NSW that were originally set aside to allow farmers to move their livestock, such as sheep or cattle, across the countryside.
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