Thread: Redgum firewood in short supply, fines for illegal harvesting

There are people who know how and people that don't. Riding around mid outer Melbourne burbs now for rehab of my leg. The smell of a good fire is nice, the smoke from people trying to burn green timber is easy to pick. My 50km off road circuit has at least 25 housed with wood fires. At least 20 are burning green wood. Suspect a chimney sweep needed a or chimney fire likely for several.

We cut then stored most of our fire wood from Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) or Iron bark (Eucalyptus Paniculata). I was not a popular son if I grabbed the wrong wood as the heat output reduced significantly and ash increased significantly. I did once so put out out side for sale to the town people who drove past. It was gone in a week and I got $10 which seemed like a fortune at the time

$250 per ton del in the yarra valley. 10 ton load from denilequin. I get it del around Dec/Jan in blocks then split to my liking at my pace.

Hi,
Just got 5 ton for $750.
Ready to burn, clean and delivered to the wood stack.
I doubt it is worth DYI at that price with a ute and the distance to legal coups.
The panic buying hit here too, I ordered in March. Fortunately I did not run out, it was close though.
Cheers

Originally Posted by Eevo

390/t in the adel hills

Wow!

Firewood doesn't grow on trees over there.

I have 10 acres, 5 of which is remnant containing a few varieties of manna gum, swamp gum and golden wattle. Black wattle has been planted recently and is endemic.

The pick as firewood is the golden wattle and a couple of the manna varieties. I've found the 5 acres supplies enough each year.

DL

Originally Posted by 350RRC

Wow!

Firewood doesn't grow on trees over there.

DL

nope, it gets trucked in from the eastern states

local woodyard
Blue Gum and Mixed Gum will be $370 per tonne and Red Gum and Mallee Stumps will be $420 per tonne.

Good firewood is between $200 and $300 a tonne delivered in Kalgoorlie. It is mostly Salmon Gum (very similar to redgum) with a bit of Blackbutt and sometimes Gimlet mixed in. I cut my own - can't be bothered paying those prices - plus I'm a hobby woodworker / wood turner so always keeping my eye out for some interesting forks / burls etc.

Gidgee was once common in this area - most old fences on properties east of here had Gidgee posts. It's hard as steel and the white ants can't touch it - but it is not often you come across it these days. I cut down a decent size Gidgee tree recently at my son's house (it was starting to split and drop branches and generally make a mess). Most of it is now cut into useable lengths with the ends sealed, and stacked on a pallet under cover up the back yard - very little of it (only the split stuff and offcuts) will go into the fire. Burning the good stuff is sacrilege. It is bloody hard timber to turn and you need to know how to sharpen chisels / gouges - but the results are worth it. One of my all-time favourite timbers to work with.

IMG_1776.jpgWinged Bowl006.jpgPP01.jpgPP04.jpg

Originally Posted by BMKal

Good firewood is between $200 and $300 a tonne delivered in Kalgoorlie. It is mostly Salmon Gum (very similar to redgum) with a bit of Blackbutt and sometimes Gimlet mixed in. I cut my own - can't be bothered paying those prices - plus I'm a hobby woodworker / wood turner so always keeping my eye out for some interesting forks / burls etc.

Gidgee was once common in this area - most old fences on properties east of here had Gidgee posts. It's hard as steel and the white ants can't touch it - but it is not often you come across it these days. I cut down a decent size Gidgee tree recently at my son's house (it was starting to split and drop branches and generally make a mess). Most of it is now cut into useable lengths with the ends sealed, and stacked on a pallet under cover up the back yard - very little of it (only the split stuff and offcuts) will go into the fire. Burning the good stuff is sacrilege. It is bloody hard timber to turn and you need to know how to sharpen chisels / gouges - but the results are worth it. One of my all-time favourite timbers to work with.

IMG_1776.jpgWinged Bowl006.jpgPP01.jpgPP04.jpg

Did you have to use a tungsten carbide saw to cut it into lengths? When I was bout 20 and out on a beef road camp on the Diamantina with my Dad I used a truck to drag an old gidgee log into camp for the camp fire. Tried to cut it into firewood with a sharp axe. No hope. The axe left dents in the log. Ended up using the axe as a wedge and a sledge to split it up. Gidgee was the favoured firewood for steam engines. Many shearing sheds had steam engines dating form the early 1900's and steam traction engines were sometimes used to pull cable hauled tumbling tommies to make tanks at bores.