Why did these works happen?

We have an obligation to ensure the safety of communities and the protection of the environment from the risks of bushfires.

A 2021 storm impacted around 45,000 hectares across Wombat State Forest - approximately 1,600 hectares was severely impacted.

It's essential to manage storm debris and hazardous trees, which can:

  • increase fuel for a bushfire
  • block access for community, and vital firefighting personnel and equipment.

The severely impacted areas (approximately 1,600 hectares or 4% of the impacted area) were treated to mitigate fire risk. We did not remove every tree that fell during the storms, only those that were necessary to reduce bushfire and other safety risks.

These were not commercial timber harvesting operations.

In January 2025, a fire started in the forest near Barkstead. It took first response crews 3 times longer than usual to create a control line around the fire as they needed to cut a path through storm debris. The danger to crews was also increased, due to hazardous trees from the storm.

Now that these works are complete, we will be able to respond to bushfires in the Wombat State Forest more swiftly and safely.

Debris management

We have removed some fallen trees. These can generate significant radiant heat and block essential firefighting access during a bushfire. We haven’t removed every tree that fell during the storms, only those that were necessary to reduce bushfire and other risks. We have left some fallen trees for wildlife habitat.

We never remove standing trees unless they pose a safety risk.

Learn more about how we manage environmental values.

Supporting the environment during storm recovery

The storm, like a bushfire, significantly damaged the forest.

As we did after the 2019–2020 fires, we support the plants and animals that live there while it recovers.

This means recovery and bushfire risk reduction works were undertaken, including:

  • biodiversity surveys to check for environmental values
  • excluding sensitive areas from works
  • re-planting indigenous plant species (pictured below)
  • repairing tracks following operations
  • minimising soil disturbance
  • treating invasive weeds
  • creating new tree hollows for animals in storm-affected areas
  • installing rope bridges that connect animals with habitat.

What did the works involve?

We graded more than 100 km of roads, cleared 1,400 km of roads and fire access tracks of hazardous debris and reopened them in both the Wombat State Forest and Cobaw State Forest.

In the Wombat State Forest, we :

  • addressed fire risk in 1638 hectares
  • created more than 185 nesting hollows for threatened wildlife in the Wombat State Forest, and 300 on private property
  • installed three rope bridges between trees to connect habitat for animals
  • provided firewood for the community.

Where has the timber and debris gone?

Wherever possible, debris from forest and fire management works is left in the forest for environmental purposes. Debris is only removed when necessary for safety, bushfire risk or forest health reasons. Where debris needs to be removed, Victoria’s State Forest By-Products Framework now guides how it is distributed.

Depending on the type of by-products, the following options for distribution were considered:

  • community uses
  • firewood, including through both the free domestic firewood collection program and via local firewood sellers. Find out more about available firewood on the Firewood collection in your region page.
  • timber mills, where there is sufficient high-quality by-product available
  • debris has also been given a second life as plant stakes and wood wool for animal bedding, among other things. Root balls are being used for fish habitat along streams. You can read more about these uses of storm debris in the Storm debris finds new life as animal bedding article.

Managing fire risk outside of storm recovery work

We work year-round alongside partner agencies, local government and communities to develop and deliver the Joint Fuel Management Plan. Find out more on the Joint Fuel Management Plan (JFMP) page.

Useful links

Page last updated: 08/07/26