Forest Crackdown On Firewood Collectors
Newcastle Herald
Friday May 14, 2004
PEOPLE who pick up sticks in state forests are in for a shock. A crackdown is under way to stop the illegal collection of firewood.
Hunter State Forests manager Pat Groenhout warned yesterday that a permit was required before anyone took firewood from the Hunter's 180,000 hectares of state forest.
People faced on-the-spot fines and court prosecution without one. A $44 permit allowed three tonnes of dead wood to be picked up over two months. No timber, dead or alive, could be cut down.
Firewood had to be for personal use and not resold, he said.
The crackdown is part of a state-wide enforcement to protect the environment and reduce public safety risks. The warning follows the successful prosecution in Wentworth Court this week of a commercial firewood seller.
He was ordered to pay more than $21,000 in fines and legal costs after taking wood from forests in the Mildura area. He was also forced to pay more than $3000 in royalty payments.
. Paul Maguire
© 2004 Newcastle Herald