Shire Administration Office

Firewood Collection

You don’t need a permit to collect firewood in the southwest, however you can only do this in designated areas. Here’s what you need to know:

• Firewood can only be collected for personal use.
• You may only collect firewood from areas shown on the maps provided by the Departments of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) on their website - the Shire of Donnybrook Balingup is in the Blackwood District. Taking firewood from national parks, nature reserves, and conservation parks is not allowed.
• Only take fallen timber - you cannot cut down any standing tree, regardless if it’s dead or alive, or cut/break off any part of a standing tree for firewood. Felling trees can damage nearby vegetation.
• There is a limit to how much firewood can be removed, and when this can occur.
• Chainsaws must not be used on days of a Total Fire Ban, or days rated Extreme or Catastrophic. You can check what the Fire Danger Rating is on the EmergencyWA website below.
• Firewood collection areas have been selected to provide access to a good supply of the resource, however it is not possible to guarantee the quality or quantity of firewood available.
• Commercial Firewood Operations are managed through contracts administered by the Forest Products Commission.  Information on where to purchase firewood sourced from sustainably managed, approved forest harvest operations and approved local firewood suppliers is on the Forest Products Commission website - see the Find a Local Firewood Supplier page linked below.
• A licence is required to supply (including sell) flora as firewood that has been lawfully taken from your private property. For more information on Flora Licences, please see the information provided on the DBCA website linked below. 
• No permit is required unless you are collecting within a Disease Risk Area (DRA). Contact your local DBCA office for information about a DRA permit, or visit the page linked below.
  • Please contact the Blackwood District Office on (08) 9752 5555, or visit 14 Queen Street, Busselton (6280).

Resources & Other Information:

About Firewood Collection

View the Firewood Collection Areas

Find a Local Firewood Supplier

About Flora Licences

About Dieback Risk Areas (DRA)

Browse our Environmental Advice & Education Posts

I want to know more about Tree Risk Assessments

Trees provide a wide range of benefits to the Shire community, however, they also have the potential to cause harm to the environment, structures, and sometimes people. Qualified Shire Officers conduct Quantified Tree Risk Assessments to investigate trees on public lands that pose a risk. To report a dangerous tree, please complete an online report via the link below. 

Make a Report

I want to know more about vegetation on roadsides

Vegetation on roadsides requires ongoing management by the Shire in order to maintain fuel loads, road infrastructure, road user safety, and reduce the spread of noxious weeds. Levels of service vary depending on a number of factors - please refer to our Rural and Urban Verge Management policies (WRKS/CP-2 and WRKS/CP-3 respectively) via the link below for more information.

Shire Policies

I want to know more about Fenceline Clearing Permits

Clearing native vegetation for the purposes of installing or repairing a fence requires a Fenceline Clearing Permit under the Environmental Protection (Clearing of Native Vegetation) Regulations 2004. You can review these Regulations via the link below.

Read more

I want to know more about pest & weed management

The Shire undertakes several activities to manage pests and weeds within available Shire resources. Weed monitoring is undertaken by Shire staff where possible to increase awareness and track the movement of noxious weeds across the landscape, with actions taken in priority order to enhance effectiveness. The Shire also works with a number of external agencies and not for profit groups to enhance outcomes in this area. To report pests and weeds, please complete an online report via the link below.

Make a Report

Alternatively, the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development (DPIRD) have developed the MyPestGuide Reporter app, which provides an easy and convenient way to report your findings and receive advice.

More about MyPestGuide

If your property exceeds 1 hectare, you can request assistance from one of the Shire's two biosecurity groups. These groups are funded by the State Government, and are equipped with expertise and resources to assist landowners to manage pests and weeds. Alternatively, DPIRD can provide advice to landowners over the phone or via their website. 

Local Environmental Groups

DPIRD Advice

Preferred plants in the Shire district

Our preferred plants for the Shire district include:

• WA Peppermint Trees (Agonis Flexuosa), average height of 9m. 
  • An iconic native tree to the Southwest, producing small white flowers in Spring. WA Peppermint Trees are drought and salt tolerant, and can be pruned to various shapes (including shrubs). These are known to attract Western Ringtail Possums and other pollinators.
• Kings Park Bottle Brush (Callistemon Citrinus), average height of 4m.
  • This plant produces brilliant red flowers, and is hardy enough to tolerate most soil types. The Kings Park Bottle Brush is a good option to consider if the planting location is under overhead powerlines. They can be pruned to shape, and are known to be a great hedging plant. They attract Western Ringtail Possums, birds, and other pollinators.
• Red Flowering Gums (Corymbia Ficifoli), average height of 9m.
  • Red Flowering Gum is a tree native to the Southwest, producing bright pink flowers in Summer. They have deep green leaves, and prefer sandy, gravelly soil. These plants are also known to attract birds.
• Pincushion Hakea (Hakea Laurena), average height of 6m.
  • Puncushion Hakea sizes vary from a large shrub to a small tree. They showcase stunning red stems from their globe shaped flowers and blue-green leaves, opening late Autumn and throughout Winter.
• Coral Gums (Eucalyptus Torquata), average height of 7m.
  • Native to the Goldfields, the pink flowers on this tree bloom in Spring, from August through to December. They feature greyish leaves and rough bark, and are unique/endemic to WA.
• Swamp Paperbark (Melaleuca Rhaphiophylla), average height of 6m.
  • These trees feature white flowers in summer, attracting bees and birds. They thrive in wetter soil, and are native to the Southwest.
• Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstoemia), average height of 6-8m.
  • Crepe Myrtles are non-native deciduous trees, with a vase shaped profile. They can be pruned to shape, with their prolific bright pink flowers blooming in Summer. This plant can be found to the east of roads in Balingup.
• Flowering Plum (Prunus Nigra), average height of 5m.
  • These non-native deciuous trees, similar to the Crepe Myrtle above, showcase a vase shaped profile. They bloom in Spring with pink-white flowers, followed by deep burgundy leaves in the Summer. 
• Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum), average height of 4m.
  • These small ornamental trees feature a five (5) lobed leaf that is light green, turning a deep orange or crimson in Autumn.
• Trident Maple (Acer Buergerianum), average height of 6-8m.
  • These smaller deciduous trees produce small, triangular and tri-lobed leaves. The new Spring foliage is a rich bronze/red colour, maturing to a dark green in Summer. In Autumn, the colours change from yellow, to orange, and then red. These can be found in the main areas of the Donnybrook townsite.
• Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis Anacordioides), average height of 5-8m.
  • Tuckeroos are a rounded, shady evergreen tree. Blooming in Autumn, the cream-coloured flowers will turn into an orange fruit. They establish quickly, have non-invasive roots, and tolerate drought and frost once grown.
• Golden Ash (Fraxinus Excelsior), average height of 7m.
  • These trees are deciduous, spread, and are a hardy specimen tree. They feature an attractive yellow bark with lime green foliage that turns yellow in Autumn. They feature sooty black buds in Winter, and will endure warm conditions in sun or shade. These are planted at the western entry to Donnybrook.

My neighbour's tree is growing over / in my fence and is impacting me

Trees impacting landowners via boundary fencing are addressed in the Dividing Fences Act 1961. Unless the Shire is the landowner, this matter is of a civil nature and is outside the jurisdiction of the Shire. To learn more about the Dividing Fences Act and for information and advice on resolving an issue of this nature, please refer to the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) website below.

DEMIRS: Dividing Fence Matters

Can I be involved in environmental projects on Shire lands?

Yes - the Shire is currently undertaking several projects (listed at the top of this page), and the Leschenault Catchment Council (LCC) is also currently seeking a champion to initiate a Friends of Preston River Group to facilitate the ongoing improvement of the Preston River. The Shire supports this initiative, and the LCC will ensure that resources are available to undertake this highly important task.

Meet our Local Environmental Groups