Hon Steve Martin asks about firewood supply by the Forest Products Commission due to concerns about shortages. The Minister provides data on past supply and future intentions, but avoids guaranteeing sufficient supply for 2023.

AnsweredQoN 594Legislative Council
Asked
9 August 2022
Portfolio
Forestry

QuestionView source ↗

FOREST
PRODUCTS COMMISSION — FIREWOOD SUPPLY
594. Hon STEVE MARTIN to
the minister representing the Minister for Forestry:
I refer to concerns made
public by the Western Australian Home Heating Association regarding firewood
shortages.
(1) Can the
minister confirm the amount of firewood supplied by the Forest Products
Commission to contractors for the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022?
(2) Has there has been a shortage of household firewood for
the current 2022 winter?
(3) Will there
be a sufficient supply of firewood available to meet the demands of Western Australian
households in the winter of 2023?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
member for the question. The following information has been provided by the
Minister for Forestry.
(1) The
amounts are 76 776 tonnes, 91 675 tonnes, and 86 027 tonnes. Deliveries for
2022 have not yet been completed.
(2) In 2021,
86 027 tonnes of firewood were delivered. This was the second-highest delivery
of firewood over the entire current forest management period. It is only below
the 2020 supply, which delivered 91 675 tonnes.
(3) The Forest
Products Commission will continue to provide firewood to its contractors. The
FPC cannot predict the demand for 2023 and is not the only source of supply in
the state.

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