No wood for woodchoppers to chop

The sport of woodchopping cannot exist without logs and now the sport is at risk of being lost if logs cannot be sourced.

Speaking in Parliament, State Liberal Member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish called on the State Government to support the sport and offer a solution to the shortage of logs.

Ms McLeish said, “With the constant issue and litigation around timber harvesting, access to the essential part of the sport has been closed to axemen, with the surety of log supply no longer provided.”

“I have been contacted by the Victoria Axemen’s Council who are concerned that if logs are not sourced soon, it will be the end of the much-loved Australian sport.”

“Although there’s enough logs available for the Tolmie Sports Festival on 4 March, the woodchop at the Alexandra Truck Show in June is at jeopardy with many more to follow, including the Royal Melbourne Show.”

Approximately 80-100 woodchop events are held in Victoria each year and they are always popular draw cards at events.

Commencing in Australia 150 years ago, over 62 countries have now taken on the sport, with a variety of ages participating from 7-year-olds to those over 90-years-old.

“If woodchopping is lost, so is a part of Australian heritage. The government must ensure there is a sustainable solution to this problem,” Ms McLeish concludes.