Firewood theft soars as energy bills bite

Surging power prices are pushing Australian households to desperate measures, with a worrying trend emerging of increased firewood theft from national parks and state forests. As energy bills skyrocket, authorities are battling a surge in illegal logging as people seek cheaper alternatives to heating their homes.

In May, the Australian Energy Regulator confirmed that residential customers on default plans will face substantial power bill increases this financial year. South East Queensland customers face price hikes of between 0.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, Victorians up to 1 per cent, South Australians between 2.3 per cent and 3.2 per cent, while New South Wales residents are the hardest hit, with increases between 8.3 per cent and 9.7 per cent.

Canstar Blue estimates that households on default plans could see their power bills increase by $71 to $228 over the 2025-26 financial year.

Against this backdrop of rising energy costs, a winter trend that is leaving authorities fuming and costing offenders up to $9,879 in fines shows no sign of slowing down. Brazen firewood thefts from forests continue across the country despite repeated warnings.

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This is not just a Victorian issue, with Queensland authorities also cracking down on illegal logging.

In Victoria, the latest incident saw two people allegedly caught red-handed with a trailer-load of illegally chopped firewood in the Glen Park State Forest, north of Ballarat, after concerned locals reported “suspicious activity”.

The bust occurred on August 5 as part of Taskforce Ironbark, a statewide crackdown led by Victoria’s Conservation Regulator in partnership with Parks Victoria and Victoria Police. Officers seized the trailer, the illegally obtained firewood, two chainsaws, and block splitters. A vehicle was also impounded after the driver was allegedly caught driving with a suspended licence.

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According to the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DEECA), intelligence gathered by the Conservation Regulator pointed to “large-scale removal of timber by several people of interest, which was allegedly being sold for firewood.”

“Many of the trees targeted were large, dead specimens that provide critical habitat for our native wildlife such as powerful owls,” DEECA said in a statement.

“Reports also indicated trees were being partially cut and left standing, posing safety risks to forest users.”

While it is illegal to chop down trees in national parks for firewood, authorities across several states have reported an annual surge in offences during winter, prompting increased patrols.

In Victoria, offenders caught in the act on public land face on-the-spot fines exceeding $814. More serious offences can attract penalties of up to $9,879 and 12 months imprisonment.

Victorians are, however, permitted to collect firewood for personal use from designated collection areas in state forests during the autumn and spring firewood collection seasons, while the act is completely prohibited in South Australia.

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This latest incident follows a string of similar offences this winter. Just weeks ago, a man hauling a trailer allegedly filled with illegal firewood became bogged in mud near Reedy Lake in the Nagambie Wildlife Reserve.

Officers allegedly found a load of recently cut River Red Gum timber inside the trailer, along with another “freshly felled” tree nearby.

Despite being issued with infringement notices, the same man allegedly returned to the area that night, resulting in the seizure of his trailer, the timber, and a chainsaw.

Earlier this year, two more Victorians were allegedly caught “loading freshly cut and split timber” into a trailer during a pre-dawn operation at the Wandong Regional Park.

Queensland cracks down on firewood thieves

Meanwhile, in Queensland, authorities have issued a stark warning that removing dead trees from national parks is also illegal.

Queensland National Parks posted a warning last month, including images captured by a wildlife camera of a ute being filled with wood inside a park.

“We speak for the trees when we say everything within a national park and state forest is protected in Queensland,” the department said in a social media post.

“Whether it was a live tree like this one, or a dead one, they all play an important part in the protected ecosystem and should never be firewood sources – and penalties do apply.”

In Queensland, taking wood from national parks and state forests can attract on-the-spot fines of up $1,378.

Serious breaches can be prosecuted in the courts, with penalties reaching $137,850 for a first offence and a staggering $413,550 for repeat offenders.

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