A Hawke's Bay wood merchant says a surge of unregistered wood sellers on Facebook's Marketplace are undercutting reputable companies and putting consumers at risk.
By Linda Hall, Local Democracy Reporting
Woodstocks Firewood merchant owner John Caulton is calling for action from Inland Revenue and urging Hawke's Bay councils to bring back a registration scheme that had helped prevent "firewood cowboys" from profiting.
Caulton is blunt in his assessment of what he is seeing on Marketplace:
"They don't pay tax, lack safety standards, and sell poor-quality products which are harming consumers, legitimate businesses, and the wider community," he claimed.
"These informal operators undermine local jobs, drain public revenue, and contribute to air pollution and respiratory illness through poorly seasoned firewood."
He said he had recently made a formal written complaint to Inland Revenue expressing his concerns.
He said the issue was not new.
In 2010, a working group was formed involving the IRD, Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Napier City Council, Hastings City Council and established firewood suppliers.
From that initiative, HBRC introduced the Good Wood Merchant Scheme, where people could find compliant operators who met wood quality standards and supplied dry seasoned wood.
Caulton said if the suppliers delivered wet wood, customers were guaranteed a refund or a dry replacement load.
"There's no guarantee with these firewood cowboys," he said.
"I counted 60 in Napier, Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay on Marketplace in one day recently.
"Most of the time, they have no sign writing or contact details on their trailers or trucks when they deliver wood."
A spokesperson for HBRC said the Good Wood scheme was a cornerstone initiative of its Heatsmart Programme, which ran from 2010 to 2018.
"It was created to give households confidence that the firewood they purchased was genuinely dry and ready to burn," the spokesperson said.
They said suppliers could register at no cost as approved providers, committed to selling wood with a moisture content below 25%.
Free testing was available, if the wood didn't meet the standard, a replacement or refund was arranged at the supplier's expense.
In 2018, Heatsmart evolved into the broader Sustainable Homes Programme.
"The Good Wood scheme continued until 2024, when it closed, having largely achieved its purpose with a 72% improvement in air quality, and 18,500 households supported to create warmer, drier, healthier homes," the spokesperson said.
Caulton said the scheme worked well and it, or something similar, should be reinstated.
"Non-compliant sellers are flourishing without the programme," he said.
"To restore fair trading, protect public health, and support honest local businesses, urgent action is needed – nationwide."
He said this would put a stop to the "fly-by-nighters" who get trees or logs, cut them straight into firewood and sell it.
"It's wet and green and the pollutants and contaminants in it result in respiratory illnesses when it's burnt."
The HBRC spokesperson said the council would need to collect data over a longer period before it could say what impact, if any, ending the Good Wood Merchant scheme had had on air pollution in Napier and Hastings.
"Hawke's Bay Regional Council is not currently planning to reinstate the Good Wood scheme," they said.
"After Cyclone Gabrielle, our focus is on supporting community resilience in the areas where we can make the biggest difference — reducing flood risk, water security, and land and water health."
Caulton said the principle of a fair go was being undermined and was urging the IRD to treat it as a priority.
IRD was approached for comment on Caulton's complaint, but a spokesperson said it couldn't comment on specific taxpayer matters because of section 18 of the Tax Administration Act, which relates to IRD's confidentiality obligation.
If wanting to buy firewood, Caulton's advice is to do your homework first.
"Search online. Generally if they have a website, they are a legitimate business."
Local Democracy Reporting is local-body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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