Stacks Of Wood, But Most Of It In The Wrong Place
The Age
Tuesday May 1, 2001
A bumper farming crop season, wet weather and the GST could affect supply Melbourne firewood supplies this year.
Ern Dunning, the owner of the Dunning and Sons wood yard in Kew, said an unusually good year for crops in some areas had created a transport shortage.
``The trucks are being used to cart grain or rice for longer than usual and that has slowed up our supplies a little," Mr Dunning said.
He said the wood most affected by this was the mallee root, but a supply was expected this week.
Supplies of red gum, the best-selling wood, were steady.
Mr Dunning said that while supply could match demand at the moment, the season was yet to peak and his team was flat out taking up to 500 orders a day.
``It happens every year. People get the first hint of cold weather and start ringing," he said. ``I tell them `February, ring in February', but they never do."
Peter Jensen, owner of Bob's Firewood in Williamstown, said access to firewood may be restricted by poor weather, with trucks unable to drive on soggy forestry roads. ``It is a matter of logistics, not stocks. There is plenty of wood," he said.
He said the BAS statement and other GST paperwork had led to a reduction in woodcutters.
Some had become backyard operators and others had left the industry.
© 2001 The Age