June 16th, 2026Wood sold but info scarce on the ground

Timber and firewood businesses bought up 7000 tonnes of storm debris removed from the Wombat State Forest at an auction held by DEECA in Daylesford on May 26.
A spokesperson said there had been a good response to the organisation’s first online auction, with the 7000 tonnes of by-products from Wombat State Forest storm debris sold.
“Buyers determined the value of the by-product and what they will utilise it for. We expect some to be utilised for commercial firewood and some for milled products,” the spokesperson said. “By-products are timber or woody debris generated through forest and fire management activities that need to be removed from public land.”
Queries on who bought the timber and how much they paid for it went unanswered.
Before the auction, DEECA said that severe storms in 2021 impacted around 45,000 hectares across the forest – with about 1600 hectares severely damaged.
“Many (fallen trees) have been left in the forest to provide habitat and other environmental benefits. We have removed where necessary to reduce bushfire and other safety risks.”
Acting Deputy Chief Fire officer Vincent White said a huge number of trees fell in the 2021 storms, making it difficult for CFA volunteers to gain access.
Nearly 10,000 tonnes of by-products from the Wombat State Forest were made available to communities as free firewood through the domestic firewood collection program.
DEECA said any income from the auction, after administrative costs were accounted for, would go to Traditional Owners, with options for distribution to be examined in partnership with them.
Where works occur in an area where there is no recognised Traditional Owner group, consideration will be given to directing revenue to a fund for the benefit of First Peoples.
Meanwhile, on social media, people were quick to wonder if the sale was the best thing for the storm debris:
Does that mean the storm cleanup is finished now and they can open the new Wombat Lerderderg National Park?
Pack of lies – a con a rort a fraud on the State of Victoria – logging in disguise.
From memory the locals opposed this storm damaged timber being removed. To the point local opponents resisted to it being removed by vandalising contractors’ equipment. To prevent removal of what could have been valuable timber to sell to timber mills that no longer exist thanks to the Victorian Labor government shutting down the native timber industry.
Should have gone to the needy locals for fire wood seeing it was no longer useful as structural grade timber.
Shoulda woulda coulda – what it did do was destroy the canopy and alter the ecosystem forever- yeah so burning the wood is more important to you along with filling the already choked atmosphere with more smoke. This was deliberate destruction – different to a bushfire. These trees belong to the forest not your unfiltered polluting wood heater and certainly not in the atmosphere.
That’s great. Just a massive shame and disgrace the fallen timber wasn’t value added and used for quality sawn timber soon after it fell following the June 2021 Big Storm. Over a million trees were flattened. Five years later it’s only suitable now for firewood or woodchips. Hope that mistake is never repeated as we’ll no doubt have big storms in the future.
You can blame the feral attention seeker green parasites for that.
You first have to get tree huggers out of that equation then its most likely plausible.
It was only ever firewood. Words: Donna Kelly | Image: Daylesford Drones