Thursday, 6 March 2025

 Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (17:54): (1490) My adjournment this evening is for the Minister for Environment, and the action I seek is for the minister to direct the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action to open more firewood collection areas in the Northern Victoria Region. Yet another year and another disappointing announcement for firewood collection areas in my electorate of Northern Victoria. After a season of devastating fires one would think that both the minister and DEECA would be open to allowing my constituents to collect firewood from the already overloaded forests and parks, but here we go again. The residents of the Moira, Campaspe, Gannawarra, Swan Hill and Mildura local government areas find themselves with minimal, if any, free firewood collection points within a reasonable travelling distance. Many of the residents needing these free collection points are elderly, pensioners, people with disabilities or families. They simply do not have the spare funds to be travelling hours out of their way to collect firewood or pay the exorbitant prices charged by firewood sellers. Many of these people rely solely on firewood for warmth and cooking. It seems my constituents in Northern Victoria are being further ignored and disadvantaged by the city-centric Minister for Environment. We are in a cost-of-living crisis partially caused by this government, and people are faced with the choice of either buying food or warming their homes. Perhaps it is time the minister left his city office and took a drive through the areas his portfolio covers. The action I seek is for the minister to direct DEECA to open more firewood collection areas in the Northern Victoria Region.