ii) Alternative timber

The trick to burning pine, and hardwood too, is to make sure it’s properly seasoned and burn it with sufficient air. Green wood, regardless of species, and closing down your fire too quickly are the main causes of deposits in chimneys and air pollution. You do have to keep pine under cover or it will lose its ‘seasoning’, and soak up water again.
Weight for weight, pine provides as much heat as eucalypt. It dries faster and is easier to handle.
Some of us in the rural residential zone have experimented with burning both pine and hardwoods that grow locally.
Acacia wood burns well and is great for kindling and fire starters. Through personal experience over 10 years we have found Red Stringybark, Scribbly Gum and Brittle Gum (Red Spotted Gum) relatively quick to cure, easy to split and terrific to burn. Seasoned pine is easiest of all to split, great for getting fires up and running and you can always mix pine and hardwood for a longer-lasting fire. Why not consider a little firewood plantation on your rural block?
Information about establishing and managing a wood lot for firewood is available in ‘Managing your native vegetation’ on page XX.