Firewood Collection

Child holding a large bundle of ticks and branches.

Roadside firewood is an affordable fuel source but these benefits need to be balanced with risks including:

  • Impacts to biodiversity: road reserves are important habitat for native species, and fallen dead logs provide habitat for native fauna.
  • Spread of weeds: inadequate weed hygiene practices can result in the spread of weeds from one road reserve to other areas where the weed might not have been established.
  • Occupational health and safety risks to people collecting firewood, e.g. through operating chainsaws.
  • Traffic hazards from vehicles and people operating the road reserve.
  • Amenity impacts to residents adjacent to the collection area.

The season for collecting firewood is currently open.

Please note, to be eligible to collect firewood from an Indigo Shire Council road, you must be a resident of Indigo Shire.

Which roads can I collect firewood from and which roads are off limits?

You can apply for a firewood collection permit on any Indigo Shire roadside, except those listed in the table below.

No collection is permitted on roads managed by Regional Roads Victoria (RRV). To view the roads managed by Regional Roads Victoria, click here.

The table below of roads where firewood collection is not permitted are critical conservation value roads, and other Indigo Shire managed roads that are deemed unsafe or otherwise unsuitable for firewood collection.

All other roads in most cases allow for firewood collection.

View the list of permitted roads

View the list of prohibited roads

Authorised Council officers will assess each application taking into consideration other works that may be going on at the time. No firewood collection will be permitted on roads that are classified as high or critical conservation value.  

How do I get a permit and how much does it cost?

You can apply using the Firewood Collection permit application form.

Include the specific roads and sections that you propose to undertake the collection on, referring to the table of permitted roads. Only Indigo Shire managed roads are applicable to firewood collection applications. Only Indigo Shire residents can apply.

You can submit the form to info@indigoshire.vic.gov.au or in person at one of our customer service centres.

Permit Fees

  • Standard: $25.50
  • Pensioner: $15.30

 

When are firewood collection seasons?

Firewood collection seasons are usually:

  • 1 March to 30 June
  • 1 September to 30 November

However, the opening and closing dates may be modified based on conditions and consultation with the CFA.

DELWP also offer designated firewood collection areas on crown land, check the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) wesbite for further information.

 

 

Community firewood access

From time to time our operations team clears trees that are suitable for firewood, as a result the Indigo Shire has established a Community Woodlot. The Community Woodlot has been operating since 2007 in partnership with the Beechworth Correctional Centre to provide a source of low-cost firewood for Indigo Shire pensioners and concession cardholders.

Due to prisoner team time constraints it is difficult to facilitate distribution over the whole of the Shire area and direct delivery is not guaranteed.  However recipients can arrange for collection from those depots where the wood is prepared.   If you are part of a community organisation that would like to assist in helping with the distribution of wood within your local community, please contact us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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