Members of the Northern United Forestry Group met this week to voice concerns over the rise in commercial merchants raiding forest areas allocated for private firewood collection.

The areas were formerly sectioned off for firewood permit holders, before the permit system was scrapped by the state government last September.

Chairman Ian Rankin said commercial sellers have been chopping down trees in protected zones then on-selling firewood under cost price of wood growers.

Members of the forestry group said forests across the state have been stripped of all usable firewood in recent weeks.

“We’ve got reduced market because there are people out there collecting it illegally and then selling it on,” Mr Rankin said.

“You’ve got people going in there that are actually cutting down green trees as well as hollow log trees that animals use for nesting.”

The state government previously issued paid permits for personal firewood collection. But since that system was scrapped, wood growers say they’ve seen a decline in their own business.

Plantation grower James Williams is among a small group who privately grow timber for sale.

Mr Williams said his business, which is still only an emerging industry, has been hurt by the restrictions eased on firewood collection zones.

“There is an opportunity to establish an industry around firewood, but it takes time and resources. It won’t be able to continue in regards to the harvesting that’s going on at the moment.”

He said the government’s policy on firewood permits was a good idea but has been exploited by a few.

“The intent was to try and help people, I can understand the intent but certainly what’s happened is people are taking truck loads. They’re taking excessive amounts of timber from forest reserves and breaking the law.”

DSE’s Paul Bates said there would be a crack down on illegal pillaging and urged people to report any non-personal collection from protected forests.