Murrindindi Shire Council's Koriella free firewood site will close at the end of October. The Terip site will remain open until the end of November as the tree clearing program on roadsides nears completion.
Work to remove hazardous trees along more than 400 kilometres of roads affected by the January 2026 bushfires is now nearing completion. With approximately 800 kilometres of roadside requiring inspection and hazardous-tree works, this has been one of the largest and most complex parts of the clean-up for Council to undertake.
Council would ordinarily have a crew of four people undertaking this type of work. At the peak of the fire recovery operation, up to 100 contractors were involved, including local contractors who brought in additional specialist support to help safely complete the enormous program of works.
The program has so far distributed more than 8,000 cubic metres of free firewood to the Murrindindi community. More than 3,000 permits have been issued since the program began, helping local households access firewood recovered through the clean-up of areas affected by the January 2026 bushfires.
With the available firewood generated through the roadside recovery works now successfully distributed to the community, and hazardous-tree works nearing completion, the temporary collection sites are also nearing the end of their purpose.
Murrindindi Shire Council Mayor Cr Damien Gallagher said Council understood how important the program had been to many community members.
"We know the January bushfires caused significant loss and disruption, including the loss of firewood that many households had worked hard to collect and store," Cr Gallagher said.
"The free firewood program has been one practical way Council could support our community through recovery, while making use of timber collected during the clean-up of fire-affected areas.
"We are grateful to everyone who has taken part in the program. The strong response, with more than 3,000 permits issued, shows how valuable this support has been to local households."
The program has also supported people who may not have been able to collect firewood themselves, with supplies made available to local Country Fire Authority (CFA) brigades and community organisations for distribution to vulnerable community members.
Council will progressively close the firewood collection sites now that the available firewood has been successfully distributed and this will allow the areas to be cleared and safely prepared for summer.
"Working with trusted local organisations has helped us get firewood to people who may face barriers to collecting it themselves, including older residents and others experiencing vulnerability," Cr Gallagher said.
"We understand some community members may be disappointed that the program is coming to an end, particularly while recovery is continuing," Cr Gallagher said.
"We want to give people as much notice as possible while also ensuring the sites can be properly cleared and made safe before the summer fire season.
Council thanks the contractors for their continued work and support throughout this program and the community for its cooperation and care while using the collection sites.
