LOCATED just north of Leongatha, Hammans Bush Reserve, is a relic of a once vast, dense and almost impenetrable forest, which spread across the region.
Situated on the corner of Wild Dog Valley Road, Fairbank Road and Leongatha North Road, it has walking tracks and benches scattered throughout the reserve allowing for calm reflection within the depths of a wild forest.
Not now, of course, in the wintry weather but you should visit it sometime if only to get an idea of what this area used to be like.
Unfortunately, though, it is often the target of illegal private, and semi-commercial firewood cutting and collection.
Last Thursday, in the Korumburra Magistrate’s Court, a former Mirboo North man, now living in Leongatha, was found guilty of his part in chainsawing down 10 old Eucalyptus obliqua trees, commonly known as messmate stringybarks, one of which allegedly brought down branches from other trees which fell across Fairbank Road.
The cut timber was to be sold, at $240 a trailer load, for firewood, allegedly to fund a drug habit.
The incident, according to the police summary, happened on consecutive days, on Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and July 3 last year.
Police were called to the site, after a public report, at 5pm on Saturday and at around 5.20pm arrived to hear chainsaws whirring but soon after, falling silent.
They inspected the area and found a number of mature trees had been felled, they found a chainsaw near the scene but no one present.
The very next day, they were called out to Hamanns Bush Reserve again, at 7am, and again heard chainsaws, before they stopped on arrival. But they did find another chainsaw, logging wedge, axe, tools, a petrol can and oil, and a discarded McDonalds coffee cup.
In total, 10 messmate trees had been cut down.
They also discovered an unregistered Ford sedan and trailer but via the rego plates were able to track down one of the offenders who appeared in the Korumburra Magistrates Court last Thursday.
It was reported to the court that an officer of the South Gippsland Shire Council, which owns the reserve, did an assessment of the property, and confirmed that at least 10 trees had been cut down.
The court also heard that the young man’s life had recently spiralled out of control due to drug use, ultimately resulting in him serving jail time and being subsequently placed on a Community Corrections Order.
The man’s legal defence told the court, that while not seeking to minimise what was “relatively serious offending” there was the issue of “totality” sentencing and with the illegal logging occurring, at a time when the man was without prior convictions, before the drug offences, his time in custody and on a CCO needed to be taken into account.
Magistrate Julie O’Donnell agreed and placed the man on a good behaviour bond, taking into account of the totality principle.
But those who cut down and collect timber from state or council reserves can expect heavy penalties, however, with the state’s Conservation Regulator urging people to help save critical wildlife habitat by not illegally taking firewood.
This year, as part of ‘Operation Hollows’ Forest Fire Management Victoria and Parks Victoria are educating the public about the rules and penalising thieves.
Anyone caught breaking firewood collection rules can face on-the-spot-fines of $740 under the Forests Act 1958 or a maximum penalty of $9,246 and/or 1 year jail if the matter is taken to court.
See also: https://www.vic.gov.au/sad-reality-illegal-firewood-collection-victoria
