Issue Date:  -  Friday, 11 May 2001

Firewood supplier fined $800 for supplying short-weight wood

An Orange Grove firewood supplier was yesterday fined $800 in the Perth Court of Petty Sessions for delivering short-weight firewood.

The company, Austbid Pty Ltd trading as Orange Grove Garden and Wood Supplies, and the company's director, William Charles Thompson, 52, of Armadale, pleaded guilty to four charges and were ordered to also pay $396.80 in court costs.

In court, Ministry of Fair Trading Legal Officer David Oliver said the provider had not carefully weighed his firewood.

"The Weights and Measures Act requires that any delivery of firewood be sold by weight, and weight alone," he said

The only expection to this is in some country centres where suitable weighing equipment is not available.

Magistrate Peter Malone said it was a case in which the provider of the firewood thought that near enough was good enough

However, he said he was obliged to set a penalty that sent a message to the industry that near enough was not good enough.

Commissioner for Fair Trading Patrick Walker reminded householders to take the following precautions to avoid being 'burned' when buying firewood this autumn:

 - do not order by the trailer load - this can mean any quantity;
 - order by the tonne and insist the load is weighed;
 - remember that by law the seller has to give you a weight docket;
 - try to be home when the wood is delivered so you can see what is dropped off, and
 - ask a friend to recommend a seller so you avoid 'fly-by-nighters'.

A tonne of wood sells for between $120 and $130, with most householders with wood fires using at least one tonne per winter.