Buying firewood

If your firewood seller is legitimate, they should be able to tell you where they source their wood. They can legally get it from a wholesale supplier, a commercial wood lot, or private land with the permission of the landowner.

• Firewood legally collected from state forests is only allowed to be used for someone’s personal use, such as at home or for camping, and cannot be sold to make a profit.
• If the wood has come from private land and it’s a native species (like river red gum), the landowner generally needs a permit from their local council.

If your firewood seller is legitimate, they should have all the right paperwork. If they won’t provide a tax receipt with a business name and ABN listed, you should wonder why.

If your firewood seller is legitimate, they will need to balance their costs. If you’re buying firewood through social media websites and the firewood seems too cheap, ask your supplier why.

If you think someone might be selling firewood illegally, you can make an anonymous report by calling us on 136 186.

Firewood illegally taken from public land damages the environment and steals from the whole Victorian community, and wood stolen in commercial quantities can recklessly destroy forest ecosystems and threated the survival of native species. It can take hundreds of years for trees to develop the hollows which some of our most vulnerable wildlife rely on for habitat.

Authorised Officers target illegal firewood theft through dedicated enforcement operations and have uncovered large criminal syndicates illegally collecting and selling firewood to the unsuspecting public, often via social media.

The Victorian Government provides financial support and energy efficiency programs to help people with the cost of energy. To read about the different programs available and check your eligibility, visit the Energy concession and support page.