Southern NSW Residents Rally Against Firewood Ban in National Parks

Residents in southern New South Wales who rely on firewood to heat their homes have banded together to protest against the end of a firewood permit program in two national parks. The Riverina Domestic Firewood Program will end permanently in Murray Valley and Murrumbidgee Valley national parks when the collection season closes on October 30.

The program was introduced in 2010, after the parks were gazetted, so locals could still collect firewood for heating in a region with little access to natural gas. On Friday, more than 100 people gathered in Deniliquin, calling on the state government to reverse the decision.

Jane Mathers, who lives on a property outside Tocumwal, relies heavily on firewood from the Murray Valley National Park to heat her home and cook food. "I couldn't live without it, especially in the winter," she said. "We can't afford the electricity; we are pensioners."

Mrs Mathers said, in addition to using firewood, each quarter her electricity cost about $1,000. She said not having access to firewood would be a big blow to her husband and her. "We can't afford to live on anything less than what we've got now," she said.

Mathoura resident Murray Dravitziki installed a fireplace two years ago. "To buy the fireplace and have it installed was about $3,500," he said. "Now we are just sort of up in the air as to where we go from here."

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said the collection program was ending due to the quality and quantity of wood available. A decline in fallen timber on the forest floor is behind the decision to end the firewood program.

In a statement, an NPWS spokesperson said the program was placing significant pressure on the health and survival of native plants and animals. "Fallen timber is a critical part of healthy forest ecosystems," the spokesperson said. "It provides shelter, nesting sites, food sources and protection for a wide range of native Australian wildlife."

The community can still source local firewood from state forests under the management of the Forestry Corporation of NSW and commercial operators. Independent Member for Murray Helen Dalton, who organised the rally, is critical of the state government's decision. "It's all very well and good for people to make decisions in Sydney but they are not the ones at the coalface," she said. "Sydney and Canberra are telling us what to do and making our communities unliveable."

Ms Dalton hopes a petition to reverse the decision will receive 10,000 signatures, so it can be tabled and debated in state parliament.

Louise Burge lives just outside of Deniliquin, near the Murray Valley National Park. She said the red gum forest's fire risk was terrifying. Residents such as Louise Burge, who live near the national parks, are concerned about the fire risk.

"Our biggest fear is the build-up of debris on the forest floor. "Red gums have a lot of tree branch fall and that is what actually gets collected for firewood."

Edward River Council Mayor Ashley Hall said the decision could lead to catastrophic issues if there were fires in the future. "I wouldn’t like to see the state government see that on their watch when these decisions are being made with zero consultation," he said. "I think they need to cease this decision, come back to the community and have real good discussions with people on the ground."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Rural Fire Service said a major contributing factor to the bushfire risk was the accumulation of fine fuel loads. "Fine fuels are typically dead plant material such as leaves, grass, bark and thin twigs. "These fuels are typically smaller than the timber collected for firewood."