The Trade Measurement Act 1999 Provision for Sales To Sell by

							The Trade Measurement Act 1999                              To Sell by Volume (Measurement)                              A Guide to the Sale and Advertising
The Trade Measurement Act 1999 regulates the sale of        Where firewood is sold by measurement, the seller shall       of Firewood by Volume
firewood by weight or volume. Offences under the Act         state the quantity sold on the invoice or delivery note in   Where firewood is sold by volume it should be by the
can attract penalties of up to $24,000.                     terms of cubic metres when stacked. The tape or other        cubic metre when stacked.
                                                            measure used for this purpose must be examined and
                                                            marked as correct by a Trade Measurement Inspector, or       Symbols
Provision for Sales                                         a Licensed Certifier.                                         The symbol to be used for cubic metre = m3 and for
                                                                                                                         centimetre = cm All measurements are to be stated or
Where firewood is sold by measurement, it may be sold
                                                                                                                         expressed in whole numbers and decimals of a whole
either by net weight (kilograms or tonnes), or by volume    To sell by Bag (including kindling)                          number.
(cubic metres). If the purchaser is not present, or does
not have a clear and unobstructed view when the             When firewood or kindling is sold in bags it becomes a       10 millimetres = 1 centimetre
firewood is measured (or weighed), an invoice or delivery    prepacked article. As such the bag of firewood or kindling   100 centimetres = 1 metre
note must be given at the time of delivery. This invoice    must have a ticket or label stating the net measurement of   1000 millimetres = 1 metre
must state the true measurement of the firewood.             the contents and the name and address of the person
                                                            responsible for the packaging.
                                                                                                                         Advertising
To Sell by Weight                                                                                                        All advertisements for price to be $ (dollars) per cubic
                                                            Offences                                                     metre. Metric units only are to be used when advertising
To sell firewood by weight an approved weighing
instrument must be used. An approved weighing               Incorrect Ticket and False Declaration                       (no Imperial measurements).
instrument may be a platform scale, a beam balance scale,   It is an offence to mislead a person about the number,
or a road vehicle weighbridge. All such weighing            quantity, measure, gauge, or weight of any article sold or   Measuring
instruments must be examined and marked as suitable for     delivered.                                                   When measuring firewood, a length measure certified by
trade by a Trade Measurement Inspector, or a Licensed                                                                    a Trade Measurement Inspector or a Licensed Certifier, is
Certifier. Public Weighbridges are approved weighing                                                                      required to be used. A one metre folding rule with metal
instruments. It is an offence to use an unapproved          Short Weight or Measure
                                                                                                                         tipped ends or an approved measuring tape can be
weighing instrument.                                        It is an offence to deliver, or cause to be sold or          certified.
                                                            delivered, any article or goods short of the quantity
                                                            ordered or purchased.

                                                            Measuring Instruments
                                                            It is an offence to use an incorrect measuring instrument
                                                            or one that has not been certified.
To measure a stack of firewood and calculate the volume        When firewood is sold by volume and the seller is
in the stack, multiply the length of the stack by the width   asked to supply one or more tonnes, the person taking
of the stack, by the height of the stack (in cubic metres)    the order should inform the purchaser that the order
that is being delivered to a purchaser.                       cannot be supplied by weight (mass), and is only
Example:                                                      available by volume. The cost of firewood should be
                                                              expressed as $ (dollars) per cubic metre.

                                                              Firewood sold by volume must not be sold by the
                                                              trailer load or truck load. It must be measured (closely      Sale of
                                                              stacked), either before loading, or on the vehicle.
(volume) m3= (width) m x (height) m x (length) m                                                                         Firewood
                                                              Measurement and Standards Branch Offices
THERE  IS NO   CONVERSION   FACTOR                            56A Gormanston Road, Moonah TAS 7009
BETWEEN CUBIC METRES AND TONNES OF
FIREWOOD.                                                     Ph: (03) 6233 7667 Fax: (03) 6272 7852

                                                              287 Wellington Street, Launceston TAS 7250
Delivery Note
                                                              Ph: (03) 6336 2213 Fax (03) 6336 2257
When selling firewood by volume, i.e. cubic metres, your
delivery docket must state the quantity in cubic metres,      12-16 Short Street, Ulverstone TAS 7315
NOT in mass or weight.
                                                              Ph: (03) 6429 8409 Fax (03) 6425 6741

Example of delivery docket
Date: 01/01/2003
Name of customer: Fred Smith
Description of purchase: Firewood 3m3 at 45cm
Name and address of wood merchant: Tim Brown - 5
Wood Street, Glenorchy 7000
Note: When selling by volume it must be explained in the
following way eg. 2 cubic metres; or 2m3 and for odd
measurements 2.5m3, NOT 2½m3