Illegal firewood harvesting threatens WA’s South West forests and local timber trade

In Western Australia’s South West, inhabitants allege that illegal firewood gathering is degrading the landscape and harming wildlife habitats. They describe chainsaws felling mature Jarrah trees outside designated zones, leaving only trunks and destroying hollows used by birds and possums. The Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions recorded 116 cautions, infringements or prosecutions over the past three years, yet residents argue that patrols are insufficient.

Forester Geoff North says the black-market supply forces legitimate firewood merchants to lower prices. Local councilors, led by Anita Lindemann, have unanimously approved a request for the shire’s chief executive to produce a strategy to curb the practice. DBCA officials reiterate that firewood may only be collected from approved state forest sites and that seasonal patrols target known hotspots.