Anyone who has applied for a firewood collection permit from the Riverina collection zone this season received an email on Wednesday alerting them of the change.
The Murrumbidgee zone will also be closed for firewood collection.
The decision appears to have been made without any consultation, which has raised the ire of NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton.
“They really should stay out of our natural resources,” she said.
“I am mad as hell. They’re going to lock up the forest and then, when there is a fire, it will be catastrophic and noone will be able to get in.
“Between what’s happening with water management and at SunRice, it’s like they just want us all to move to the city.
“For many residents, these resources are not simply a convenience - they are essential for heating their homes during the winter,” Mrs Dalton said.
“Restricting access without providing an affordable and practical alternative could place significant hardship on local families, particularly older residents and those already facing rising living costs.”
Mrs Dalton said any decision to restrict access must properly consider the needs of the Deniliquin community.
“Environmental and regulatory objectives are important, but they must be balanced against the basic needs and wellbeing of the community.
“Deniliquin residents should not be left to bear the cost of decisions made without proper consideration of local circumstances.
“We’re asking for a fair, practical and community-minded approach.”
The firewood collection program was introduced in 2010 when state forests were transferred to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Information supplied to the Pastoral Times this week by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water suggests this was “only intended to be a temporary measure”.
A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said the decision is based on a review which found “collection cannot be sustained beyond the 2026 season” and would “protect the long-term health of the Riverina red gum forests and the native wildlife that depends on them”.
“A review of firewood collection in the Murray Valley and Murrumbidgee Valley National Parks has found the availability of fallen timber is now very limited and is placing significant pressure on the health and survival of native plants and animals,” the spokesperson said.
“Continued collection without this available timber is also contributing to illegal tree felling in the park.
“Fallen timber is a critical part of healthy forest ecosystems. It provides shelter, nesting sites, food sources and protection for a wide range of native Australian wildlife.
“Many threatened species in Murray Valley National Park and Murrumbidgee Valley National Park, including squirrel gliders, barking owls and superb parrots, depend on these forests and the ecological processes supported by fallen timber to survive.”
To support the transition, permits are now valid until October 30 this year and allow for an eight tonne collection limit (up from six tonne).
NPWS also said wood from the Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) program will also be made available at a central location for firewood collection this season once weather conditions allow.
After the closure, local firewood can only be sourced from commercial operators or state forests under the management of Forestry Corporation of NSW.
On Forestry’s permit application page, the selection of Riverina native region around Deniliquin and Barham is “not accessible at this stage”.
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