Savvy consumers are now seeking out locally produced timbers. Forests  NSW Michael Freeman at Allied Timber Products in Bathurst NSW. Photo by Alf  Manciagli

As environmental awareness increases across the community, people are  becoming ever more conscious of the impact their actions can have on the  environment. Armed with buying power, savvy consumers are asking questions  about environmental and social impacts of production, including the origins of  timber and paper products. But how can you really find out where your timber  and paper products have come from? Joanna Bodley has some answers.

There  are three easy steps - ask your retailer questions about where the timber has  come from; buy Australian; and look for certification symbols.

Timber  production in Australia is subject to well monitored world-class regulation.

There  is often little guarantee that imported timber has been harvested legally.  Forestry in Australia is highly regulated and well monitored, but this is not  always the case in other countries where regulation may not be tightly  enforced. Illegally harvested timber may well have contributed to the  destruction of forest ecosystems, threatened endangered species and otherwise  impacted negatively on the environment.

Forests  NSW chief executive, Nick Roberts, said Australias forest management is among  the best in the world, particularly in terms of conservation reserves and  monitored codes of practice for multi-use forests.

Forests  NSW manage more than 2 million hectares of native forest and plantations. In  doing this, we balance industry demand for timber with the growth rates of the  harvested forests, Nick said. This sustainable rate of harvest results in  around 2% of the total area harvested for timber each year.

In  managing these public forests, we work hard to ensure our timber resources can  meet our needs now and allow for future generations.

Forests  NSW plants around 7 million seedlings each year to renew plantations, while  native forests regrow after harvesting.

NSW  State forests are managed for the long term. We are proud to comply with strict  environmental and social regulations, which assure the protection of the  forests under our management, Nick said.

Our  worlds best practice forest management is acknowledged through our  certification under the Australian Forest Certification Scheme to AS 4708:2007.  

There  are two internationally recognised certification schemes operating in Australia   Australian Forest Certification Scheme (AFCS) (linked to the international  Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes or PEFC) and the  Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The  Australian Forest Certification scheme allows consumers to choose products from  sources certified as being derived from sustainably managed forests. The scheme  tracks the timber from the forest right through to the finished product.

All  aspects of the production process the forest manager, primary processor, secondary  processor and the seller of the finished product can be certified under a  Chain of Custody.
Certification  involves independent audits to ensure the organisation meets the standards  these are a set of requirements they must meet to claim their products are from  certified forests.

Chain  of custody certification allows companies to identify and control their sources  of timber, demonstrate their environmental integrity to customers and use the  logos, labels and claims to promote the social and environmental qualities of  their product, said chief executive of Australian Forestry Standard Limited,  Kayt Watts.

Certification  of forests in Australia is well underway, with 8.7 million hectares certified  under the AFCS and the second wave of primary processors sawmills and the  like are now starting down the certification path.

Printers  and paper producers have also started to use the certification tag on their  products, while advertising catalogues and some toilet paper is now certified  as deriving from sustainable sources.

As  consumers start to ask more questions when shopping for timber products,  retailers will turn to certified timber products to meet consumer expectation,  strengthening the link between the trusted sources and the consumer.

Certification  is evolving and its relevance to the community is ever increasing. We see the  Australian Forestry Standard logo as the recognised symbol that gives consumers  peace of mind about the wood and paper products they are purchasing. Its early  days but as awareness grows that is where we are heading, Kayt said.

Both  the Australian Forestry Standard and Forest Stewardship Council websites  identify organisations with certification. See www.forestrystandard.org.au or  www.fscaustralia.org
The  certification logo can be used by certified organisations on their product,  packaging and other items like their website.

Its  your money, so start asking questions about the timber products you buy. Find  out where the timber was grown, ask for certified timber and look out for the  certification symbols.

This article appears in the Spring/Summer 2009 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.