Firewood harvesters in eastern Gippsland fear they will not be able to supply their customers with firewood this coming winter because they're not allowed to enter VicForests' logging coupes.

An impasse between VicForests and the Department of Sustainability and Environment has locked firewood contractors out of state forests for cutting and supplying commercial quantities of firewood.

Commercial operators in part of eastern Victoria have to bid in an auction system for wood to be delivered to them, which drives up prices.

Gippsland East MLA Craig Ingram recently raised the issue in State Parliament, asking Agriculture Minister Joe Helper to help resolve the issue.

Mr Helper told the Parliament the access restrictions were in place for the safety of forest workers.

But he said some changes had been made to help firewood contractors.

Mr Helper said the auction lot size of firewood offered by VicForests had been changed to help contractors as it was too large.

''The firewood auction lot sizes that were offered were reduced to large lots of 500 tonnes to take care of the part of the firewood industry that are large operators, and 50-tonne lots for small operators,'' Mr Helper said.

''I think the industry welcomed those changes.''

Mr Helper said he would also get the small business commissioner to mediate the commercial issues between VicForests and the firewood harvesters.

But Mr Ingram said the government's response was not good enough and many residents would be left without access to their primary heating resource this winter.

He was also unimpressed with comments from DSE forest resource policy and projects manager Lisa Saxton the current firewood arrangement would remain in place this winter.

''I would like a much stronger position from the Government to fix this issue,'' he said.