Wednesday, 31 July 2024

 Peter WALSH (Murray Plains) (10:19): I am at a loss for words with what the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Parks Victoria staff are doing in the Barmah forest and the Barmah Island, where they have piled up hundreds of tonnes of fallen and flood-damaged timber ‍– 40 smaller piles and 70 huge piles of this timber. Local residents are desperate for firewood this long cold, winter. A local charcoal maker and even the Yorta Yorta have approached the state department to see if they could access this wood for firewood to help offset soaring heating costs. DEECA and Parks Victoria staff have responded with, ‘Sorry, you can’t take this timber to burn for heating, because it is mostly in a state park, so we are going to burn it instead.’

True to their word, the 40 smaller piles were burnt on Monday, and locals are still waiting to see what happens with the 70 huge piles of wood. This is not a Monty Python sketch. DEECA and Parks Victoria say the wood has to be burnt in the park, not put to good use to keep people warm. This is not just a leftist, greenie bureaucracy gone mad, this is absolute proof that the Allan government has lost touch with reality.