Selling firewood in Western Australia: licences, lawful sources and penalties

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It follows the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) of Western Australia, which regulates the collection of firewood sourced from native timber. Unlike most place pages in this family, the department's firewood pages say nothing about cords, cubic metres or delivery tickets, so no unit or ticket rule is reported here.

What the department says about selling

The DBCA firewood page and its firewood brochure say the following about sellers.

A seller of firewood taken from private property must hold a licence issued by DBCA. The brochure adds that this applies even if the seller owns the land or has the landowner's permission, and that it covers selling, supplying and storing for supply.
The seller has to show the wood will come from lawful clearing, for example under a clearing permit or a native vegetation clearing exemption, with the landowner's written permission. The licence application asks for evidence of lawful clearing.
The brochure says firewood collected from State forest for use at home cannot be sold.
The brochure says the Forest Products Commission issues production contracts for the harvest and supply of firewood from State forest.

The licence

The DBCA flora licences page lists native timber and firewood as protected flora. It names the Regulation 63 licence for supplying, and holding for supply, flora taken lawfully from private property. It names Regulation 64 for flora taken lawfully from Crown land, and Regulation 60 for taking and supplying flora from Crown land for commercial purposes. It says lawful taking from your own property means the Environmental Protection (Clearing of Native Vegetation) Regulations 2004 were followed, either through a clearing permit or an exemption. Holders of commercial taking licences and private land supplier licences complete a Three Monthly Return of Protected Flora.

What the department tells buyers

Firewood can be bought from an authorised person or business, the department says. A buyer can ask to see the seller's licence or other authorisation and ask where the wood came from. The brochure points to a state government search titled find a timber or firewood supplier for a list of authorised suppliers, and the firewood page points to the Tenders WA website for how to become an authorised contractor or supplier.

Home collection is separate

The department's collection rules for firewood used at home, with the permit, season and tonnage limits, are covered on the Australia and New Zealand public-land firewood page. The brochure says wood collected that way cannot be sold, and the firewood page rules out taking firewood from national parks, nature reserves or conservation parks.

Penalties and movement

The firewood page says enforcement actions by DBCA for unlawful taking or selling of flora, firewood included, can bring infringements of AU$200 to AU$12,500. For serious matters it says DBCA may start a prosecution, with penalties of up to AU$500,000 and up to 12 months imprisonment for people or companies convicted. The brochure, marked as information at June 2024, lists lower figures: penalties up to AU$2,500, and AU$50,000 to AU$250,000 with up to 12 months imprisonment on conviction. This page does not say which applies. The department asks for reports of suspicious firewood activity through its Wildcare Helpline.

Movement is covered separately. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development says a polyphagous shot-hole borer Quarantine Area is in place around Perth with rules on moving wood and plant material, and the DBCA firewood page says firewood cannot be removed from that area.

For the model rule and other places, see the firewood sale rules overview.