It sounds simple, but "a cubic metre" is where a lot of firewood buyers get short-changed. Here's what a cubic metre actually is under Australian law, why a stacked metre isn't the same as a "loose" one, and how to be sure you got what you paid for.
Under Australian trade-measurement law, when firewood is sold by the cubic metre it must be measured neatly stacked, with as few gaps as possible — length × width × height. A cubic metre is a stacked volume, full stop. This is set by the National Measurement Institute, the federal body responsible for how goods are measured and sold.
As a real-world picture, the Victorian Government notes that a single cubic metre of split firewood fills a standard 1.8 m × 1.2 m trailer stacked to about 50 cm high. If someone tips a "cubic metre" loosely into a bin or across your driveway, that heap almost always contains less wood than a properly stacked metre — the gaps between thrown pieces take up real space.
Watch for how the quantity is described. Some sellers advertise a "loose cubic metre," and others sell by the "trailer load" or "truck load."
None of this is against the rules when it's disclosed — but it means a cheaper "loose" cubic metre and a "$499 stacked cubic metre, delivered and stacked" are not the same product. We sell by the stacked cubic metre and stack it at your place, so the measure is the one the law actually defines.
A common question is "how many tonnes is a cubic metre?" The honest answer is that you can't reliably convert between them. The National Measurement Institute specifically warns sellers not to make claims about the weight of a measured volume of wood, or the volume of a measured weight — because the relationship changes with the wood's density, its moisture content, and how it's stacked.
In other words, a "tonne" of firewood could be a very different amount of usable wood depending on how wet it is and how it's packed. That's why we quote a clear, verifiable stacked cubic metre rather than a weight we can't stand behind. Learn more about density and drying on our Red Gum guide.
Compare like with like. A cheaper headline price is usually a loose cubic metre, with delivery charged on top, and you stack it yourself. Our $499 is a stacked cubic metre with delivery and stacking included.
When you add the delivery fee and your own labour back onto a cheaper loose load, the gap narrows a lot — and you still have to do the work. Not sure how many metres to order? See how much firewood do I need.
Delivered and stacked so you can measure it yourself. Inner and middle Melbourne.