Latest news with #firewood
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
$9,800 fine warning after Aussie driver gets bogged in bushland
Authorities have once again issued a stern warning to Aussies after a man hauling a trailer allegedly filled with illegally felled firewood became bogged in a wildlife reserve. 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. 💰 Aussies warned over fines up to $5,500 for illegal bush act 🪓 Warned over $137,850 fines after illegal national park trend 🌳 Incredible discovery at beloved Aussie national park after tragedy 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. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Yahoo
Warning over common park act attracting fines up to $9,800 as winter trend 'spikes'
Authorities are again reminding Australians that cutting up trees from national parks for firewood is illegal. Officers are ramping up patrols to crack down on the annual spike in offences in protected areas during the winter months. This week, two Victorians were allegedly caught by police "loading freshly cut and split timber" into a tandem trailer in a pre-dawn sting. "The trailer, two chainsaws, two block splitters, two mobile phones and the cut timber were seized on the spot," the state's Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA) recounted. The alleged illegal act took place at the Wandong Regional Park just after 5am on Monday. While that matter remains under investigation, officers have taken the opportunity to warn others of the steep fines — between $814 and $9,879 — for offenders caught in the act. 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. Officers said night patrols are now routine, vowing to "hold accountable" members of the public breaching the law. Speaking to Yahoo News, Taskforce Ironbark Manager Brady Childs said 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. "We formed Taskforce Ironbark, led by the Conservation Regulator, in partnership with Parks Victoria, which is utilising routine and targeted patrols, to monitor areas of Victorian public land using a range of surveillance techniques, and responding to community reports, to catch commercial firewood thieves." Childs said the taskforce targets firewood theft hotspots, working with other regulators both within Victoria and interstate. "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 equipment," he said. 💰 Aussies warned over fines up to $5,500 for illegal bush act 🪓 Warned over $137,850 fines after illegal national park trend 🌳 Incredible discovery at beloved Aussie national park after tragedy 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. Authorities also have the power to seize chainsaws, trailers, vehicles, and any other equipment used in the offence. It's an issue that occurs all over the country, with government departments in both Queensland and New South Wales earlier this month issuing alerts to try to deter people from committing the illegal act. Why can't you take firewood from national parks? Authorities remind people that logs, branches and leaf litter aren't waste; they serve as critical habitats and nutrients. They feed a myriad of insects, fungi, mosses, and lichens, which in turn support birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Removing them clears away vital shelter and breeding grounds, damages soil health, and impedes natural decomposition, undermining ecosystem function. For live trees, the impact is even worse — removing vegetation destroys habitat, disturbs native species, and fractures the interconnected web of forest life. Barriers that help prevent erosion can be lost, while tree roots that stabilise waterways are severed, raising the risk of sediment runoff and water pollution. National parks are carefully managed to preserve complex ecosystems. Every fallen branch, rotting log, and standing tree plays a role in nutrient cycling, habitat provision, erosion control, and carbon storage. Removing items for firewood or decoration may seem harmless, but it erodes the foundation of these fragile ecosystems, undermining decades of conservation efforts. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussies warned over fines up to $5,500 for illegal bush trend as winter bites
As winter properly sets in across the country, Australians are being reminded about where it is and is not acceptable to take firewood from. Last week, Yahoo News reported on the Queensland government's alert urging residents not to take wood from the state's national parks, with one ute driver caught on camera filling up his tray with logs. Now, the Hunter Local Land Services, a division of the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has taken the opportunity to also warn people there are no exemptions, and significant fines are in place for anyone caught "removing timber or disturbing vegetation" on the state's Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) network. On Thursday, a Local Land Services representative told Yahoo News there had been "recent examples" in the Murray region, prompting the warning. Late last month, Murray Local Land Services' Peter O'Shannassy said "a significant rise in the number of illegal firewood removals" had been recorded. "While permits are available to collect firewood from selected state forests, Local Land Services does not issue permits for wood collection, and we want to make it very clear that removing either standing or dead timber is not allowed... under any circumstances, and action will be taken against those who are caught," he said. "It takes 100 years for the tree hollows to form, and less than 20 minutes to destroy." 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. Today, TSRs still serve an important role by providing space for emergency grazing during droughts or tough conditions, as well as supporting conservation efforts. Many TSRs contain valuable vegetation and habitat for wildlife. "Stock routes are important in dry times for the movement of livestock and are also an extremely valuable refuge for many rare and endangered native plants and animals," an online warning read. "Fines of up to $5,500 can apply to people caught carrying out illegal activity on TSRs under the Local Land Services Act 2013." Collecting firewood from TSRs is illegal because fallen timber is essential for local ecosystems. It provides shelter and food for numerous different species of insects, birds, reptiles, and other native wildlife. Taking wood unlawfully not only can negatively impact the environment, but it also reduces the value of the land for farmers who may rely on it during emergencies. In short, TSRs are a shared natural resource that supports both agriculture and biodiversity, and they need to be protected. Critical reason behind unusual sight in Aussie trees Incredible discovery at beloved Aussie national park after tragedy Incredible way cardboard teepees fight 'crisis' in national park In Australia, it's also illegal to remove trees, whether dead or alive, from national parks. Deadfall logs, branches and leaf litter aren't waste — they serve as critical habitats and nutrients. They feed many insects, fungi, mosses, and lichens, which in turn support birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Removing them clears away vital shelter and breeding grounds, damages soil health, and impedes natural decomposition, undermining ecosystem function. Legally, the consequences are severe. In Queensland, for example, offenders face on‑the‑spot fines of about $1,378. Worse still, court action can result in penalties of up to $137,850 for a first offence, and up to $413,550 for subsequent breaches. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Al Jazeera
24-05-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Cooking in Gaza is now a toxic affair
In Gaza, we have sounds of fear and anxiety. We know them all too well: the hum of spy drones overhead, ambulances screaming through narrow streets, the roar of military aircraft, the thunder of bombings, the cries of people trapped under rubble and now a new sound: the sharp clinking of empty gas cylinders. We used to know well the tiny click of a gas stove burner starting – that small spark at the start of a day that meant a hot meal or a cup of tea was coming. Now, that sound is gone, replaced by the hollow clang of emptiness. We used our last drop of cooking gas in the middle of Ramadan. Like all other families in Gaza, we turned to firewood. I remember my mother saying, 'From today, we cannot even make a cup of tea for suhoor.' That is because starting a fire, having even a flicker of light at night could attract a drone or a quadcopter, resulting in an air strike or a barrage of bullets. We don't know why light at night is targeted, but we know we don't have the right to ask. So we ate cold food for suhoor and saved the fire for iftar. After bakeries shut down due to the gas shortage last month, reliance on fire increased – not just for our family but for everyone. Many people built makeshift clay ovens or fires in alleyways or between tents to bake loaves of bread. Thick, black smoke hangs heavy in the air – not the smoke of death from missiles, but the smoke of life that kills us slowly. Each morning, we wake up coughing – not a passing cough, but a deep, persistent, choking cough that rattles through our chests. Then, my brother and I walk to the edge of our neighbourhood, where a man sells wood from the back of a cart. He gathers it from bombed-out buildings, fallen trees, broken furniture, and the ruins of homes and schools. We carry back whatever our weak bodies can and move on to the next suffering: burning the wood. This is not easy. It demands hours of chopping and breaking wood and breathing in dust. Our father, despite suffering from shortness of breath, insists on helping. This stubbornness of his has become the source of daily arguments, especially between him and my brother. As we light the fire, our eyes turn red because of the smoke, our throats sting. The coughing intensifies. Firewood has become incredibly expensive. Before the war, we would pay a dollar for eight kilos, but now you can buy only one kilo – or even less – for that price. Impoverishment has forced many people to chop down their own trees. The greenery in our neighbourhood has all but disappeared. Many of our neighbours have started cutting down the trees they grew in their yards. Even we have begun using branches from our olive tree – the same tree we never dared touch when we were young, afraid that disturbing it would cause the blossoms to fall and yield fewer olives. Families who have no trees to chop have turned to burning plastic, rubber and trash – anything that will catch fire. But burning these materials releases toxic fumes, poisoning the air they breathe and seeping into the food they cook. The taste of plastic clings to every bite, turning each meal into a health risk. Constant exposure to this smoke can cause severe respiratory distress and chronic illnesses and even lead to life-threatening diseases such as cancer. Yet, what choice do people have? Without fire, there is no food. There is something deeply cruel about the transformation of the kitchen – from a symbol of family and hospitality into a toxic zone. The fire that once meant warmth now burns our lungs and eyes. The meals cooked can hardly be called that: soup from lentils; bread from infested flour or flour mixed with sand. The joy of preparing food has been replaced by fear, pain and exhaustion. This lack of cooking gas has done more than cripple our access to food – it has dismantled the rituals that hold families together. Meals are no longer a time to gather and enjoy family time but a time to endure. A time to cough. A time to pray that today's fire does not make someone too sick. If a bomb does not kill us, we face a slower death: quiet, toxic and just as cruel. This is Gaza today. A place where survival means inhaling poison just to have a cup of tea in the morning. A place where firewood has become more valuable than gold. A place where even the simple act of eating has been weaponised. And yet, we burn. We cough. We keep going. What other choice do we have? The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
