Thread: Is harvesting timber illegal?

you defiantly should not be chopping burls and branches of living trees.

I reckon out at Broken Hill this would not be a major problem . But I guess theres a law for that as with everything else around here..

I know a few years back the the national parks and wildlfie service built a new track or fire egress track not sure which. Anway they had to knock over couple of redgums of a decent size. Could not get em they had to be left where they fell, go figure.

Who owns the land from which you obtain the timber and burls?
If it's private property and you have permission, then I doubt there would be a problem. I think you may have a problem if it's public/crown land.

Not sure of the NSW law but here is the WA version to give you some idea of what you may be up against. Any native WA flora that is taken for a commercial purpose from private land must be covered by a permit. Note that the term commercial is very loose and it includes anything made from the timber that foreseeably could one day be sold. So unless you take from private land, use it yourself and then ensure it is never ever sold on once you or someone else you give it to has finished with it then you need a permit.

If it is on crown land then you also need permits from the Forest Products Commission and may also need the same permit as above from the Dept of Environment.

If it is a non endemic species like say an eastern states tree that you are taking then no-one cares.

Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Guys,
Maybe I need to speak with the pencil pushers and get some sort of definitive answer, if I do I'll let you know.
Hughie, I don't get it, we can clear fell huge tracks of land with enormous chains stretched between bulldozers and pile it up and burn it or we can trash Tasmanian old-growth forests for wood chips but we can't use redgum knocked over by bulldozers (maybe the authorities think that the D9 Caterpillar is a part of Australian landscape and this is nature in action?)
Anyway, if anyone knows the what goes on then please post your thoughts,
Bruce.

Originally Posted by Burnsy

Not sure of the NSW law but here is the WA version to give you some idea of what you may be up against. Any native WA flora that is taken for a commercial purpose from private land must be covered by a permit. Note that the term commercial is very loose and it includes anything made from the timber that foreseeably could one day be sold. So unless you take from private land, use it yourself and then ensure it is never ever sold on once you or someone else you give it to has finished with it then you need a permit.

Mike, I spoke to Jeff at the yard about this and he says he does not know of any tree lopper who removes trees from non-crown land that does this. It would be interesting to know the penalties compared to the cost and inconvenience of getting the permits.

If you DON'T comply with all the necessary rules, regulations, etc., you'll kill the hobby of small timber milling.

At the moment I think you're flying under the radar. Get anyone off-side - especially a few green nutters - and you'll find yourselves completely banned.

Better to put up with some "cost and inconvenience" than destroy it for everyone.

Find out what the law is with a simple phone call or email. If you don't, no matter what you personally think is a fair thing, the magistrate will just yawn and fine you. You may also have any equipment with you confiscated, depending on where you are and what you are doing.

It pays to find out for sure, and that means for each area you go into, as rules vary. I can tell you that if you so much as pick up a stick near Longforest Rd in Bacchus Marsh to throw for your dog you will be lucky to get off with a life sentence. That place is nutter central.

In Qld you can get a firewood collection licence, which allows you to cut fallen timber from state forests. I think road reserves are a different matter, collecting there is frowned upon.

Originally Posted by Groggy

You may also have any equipment with you confiscated...

I'm aware of just such an incident up at Dargo in the Victorian High Plains about twelve or thirteen years ago. One recurring hooligan cut one branch or burl too many and the authorities were waiting for him. They confiscated his 4WD, trailer, chainsaws and other equipment.

I was buying timber in the area at the time and there had been a rash of vandals coming in and helping themselves, so some of the local landowners were taking quite drastic steps to protect their property. As a result, I paid through the nose for the timber I wanted and was even accused at one point of having been one of the vandals.

Hughie, I don't get it, we can clear fell huge tracks of land with enormous chains stretched between bulldozers and pile it up and burn it or we can trash Tasmanian old-growth forests for wood chips but we can't use redgum knocked over by bulldozers (maybe the authorities think that the D9 Caterpillar is a part of Australian landscape and this is nature in action?)

political correctness dictates a lot of BS.

If you want to collect bush rock you need a permit, why? apparently so as to protect the insects, lizards etc who maybe harmed be indescriminately in the taking of bush rocks. The same folks who got the under growth burn off stopped afew years ago which resulted in Sydney being ringed but 100+ bush fires.If a snake bites you, you can not defend your self in a way that might harm the snake.

Join the club I do not understand either, its just PC BS

hughie, the problem isn't one person taking one rock. The problem is that person takes a rock, then another person takes a rock, then a whole lot of other people think it must be OK to take rocks and help themselves, and then the greedy ones take trailer-loads of rocks, and eventually there are no rocks left.

Originally Posted by BobL

Mike, I spoke to Jeff at the yard about this and he says he does not know of any tree lopper who removes trees from non-crown land that does this. It would be interesting to know the penalties compared to the cost and inconvenience of getting the permits.

Yep, that sounds right, when I asked the officer in charge of licencing how many people in Perth were obtaining these licences to use native urban trees for timber production she told me none - I laughed. She replied that maybe the wildlife officers need to look into into it. No idea what the fines are.

In Victoria it's a wise move to check with your local council before cutting down any tree on your property - the council may have it listed a "a significent tree", or it may be listed after you make enquiries.
*&**%$# bureaucrats. It's also naughty to build a swing, or a tree-house for your kids in a tree on your property without checking.

soth