Firewood poached
Rokeby residents are furious the bush setting of their Rokeby-Crossover Trail is being massacred by firewood poaching.
Friends of Rokeby-Crossover Trail members and local residents allege offenders are entering the park area, in the dead of night, cutting down trees and removing firewood.
Residents say they have heard chainsaws running at early hours of the morning and the following day can see remnants of felled trees and removed wood.
They have called on authorities to take action and urge community members visiting the trail to alert police if they see anyone removing wood from the park.
A Friends of Rokeby-Crossover Trail (FRCT) spokesperson said more than 100 trees had been cut down and the firewood removed.
Many of the trees cannot be seen from the trail and are located on single lane tracks off the trail.
“I can hear the chainsaw going at two or three in the morning.
“It’s the worse case of domestic firewood poaching I’ve ever seen.
“We shouldn’t be seeing or tolerating this activity, it’s environmentally unacceptable.
“The strategy of Parks Victoria and police to stop this just isn’t working,” she said.
She said some residents had been threatened not to say anything and threatening notes had been left on tree stumps.
The woman said they also were aware of spotlighting, hunting and shooting activities.
“This is anti-social behaviour and illegal activity that is making residents nervous about using the trail.
“The longer this goes on the more tense the situation gets. If something isn’t done soon, there could be an altercation,” she said.
The spokeswoman said the friends group had been working with Parks Victoria, DELWP and Baw Baw Shire to have seasonal closure gates installed at the trail entrance to protect the trail for users, allowing access to maintenance vehicles only.
“That would go some way to preventing this fraudulent poaching that’s getting worse and worse,” she said.
Another FRCT member said she had seen a lot of wood being carted out of the park and she wanted to see the right thing being done by the bush.
“It’s been very stressful. I have been confronted and abused and threatened when I questioned where the wood was from.
“I could hear chainsaws going one night so I drove up there and they took off,” she said.
A local resident who uses the track regularly for walking and bike riding urged community members to be aware of any suspicious vehicles or people taking firewood from the area.
He said a lot of people wouldn’t realise it was illegal to take firewood from a park area.
“There has been a significant number of trees cut down over the past 14 months, there have been some altercations and aggressive behaviour.
“This is frustrating residents and people who use the trail that there has been a lack of action by authorities.
“We know the authorities want to catch them in the act so we want the community to be aware. If you are in and around the rail trail and see someone taking firewood, report it to triple zero (000),” he said.
Local police said they were unaware of reports of firewood poaching.
Twelve months ago police investigated a homemade explosive device left on the trail.
Parks Victoria area chief ranger valley plains and coast Bridget Grant said Parks Victoria was aware of trees being cut down in an area around the Rokeby-Crossover Trail.
“Cutting down trees and removing wood from our parks is illegal unless it is from a designated firewood collection area.
“Many native mammals, birds, reptiles and insects rely on fallen timber and tree hollows for shelter and food.
Ms Grant said visitors who witnessed anyone causing damage to park habitat, removing wood or have information about environmental offences should contact authorities.
Parks Victoria and the Conservation Regulator are conducting regular patrols in parks and forests as part of Operation Hollows – a state-wide operation to address the destruction of wildlife habitat caused by illegal firewood collection.
Anyone with information about illegal firewood collection can contact Parks Victoria on 13 1963 or the Office of Conservation Regulator on 136 186.