FSC CONTROLLED WOOD RISK ASSESSMENT PUBLIC INFORMATION

Transcription

1 FSC CONTROLLED WOOD RISK ASSESSMENT SOUTH WEST FIBRE PTY LTD PLANTATION WOOD SUPPLY PUBLIC INFORMATION A APPROVAL Approving Certification Body: Global-mark Date of Risk Assessment 14/08/15 Comments: Date Approved: B ORIGIN OF TIMBER Country: District Ecoregion Australia Green Triangle, Victoria and South Australia Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forest, Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands and Scrub Montane Grasslands and Shrublands Risk Assessment Level Country District FMU (indicate the for the different levels) Australia Green Triangle Commercial and private wood supply Risk for categories 1,2,4,5 Risk for categories 1,2,4,5 Risk for categories 1,2,4,5 for category 3. for category 3. for category 3. C. RESULT OF RISK ASSESSMENT Type of source e.g. natural forest or plantations and general description of the supplier s ( or Risk and evidence): Plantation logs and woodchips supplied from commercial and private growers within the Green Triangle. Risk for categories 1,2,4,5 for category 3. Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 1 of 10

2 SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH FSC CONTROLLED WOOD CATEGORY For each of the findings you must indicate why it is determined as or. The sources of information used must be listed. 1. ILLEGALLY HARVESTED WOOD The district of origin may be considered low in relation to illegal harvesting when all the following indicators related to forest governance are present: NOTE: FSC-STD V2-1 requires a precautionary approach by companies when assessing. This means that if there is lack of information on corruption for the forestry sector, a country/district shall be defined as unspecified for the referenced indicator and therefore for the whole Controlled Wood category information used to assess the indicators Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 2 of 10

3 1.1 Evidence of enforcement of logging related laws in the district FSC National Initiatives (contacts from The Royal Institute of International Affairs ( Environmental Investigation Agency ( Global Witness: ( Corruption perceptions WWF ( describes that all Australian jurisdictions have place strong legislative, regulatory and practice instruments which are used both to guide and enforce the application of legal requirements for forest operations and timber harvesting. Code violations are relatively rare and not normally on a scale envisaged to encompass illegal logging. However, serious, knowing or continuing breaches of the code can constitute contravention of the law. ELDIS ( regional and country profiles NGOs and involved stakeholders Applicable legislation: iles/download_related_file/83 includes: Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation as current Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014 I All the suppliers/contractors comply with the relevant laws/regulations stated above. Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 3 of 10

4 1.2 There is evidence in the district demonstrating the legality of harvests and wood purchases that includes robust and effective systems for granting licenses and harvest permits. Forest audit records describes that all forest codes of practice are audited by the relevant state or territory. Planning permits, timber harvest plans required. 1.3 There is little or no evidence or reporting of illegal harvesting in the district of origin. The Royal Institute of International Affairs ( describes that all forest codes of practice are audited by the relevant state of territory. Illegal logging reports reviewed over last 12 months on no findings of illegal logging reported in Victoria ( 1.4 There is a low perception of corruption related to the granting or issuing of harvesting permits and other areas of law enforcement related to harvesting and wood trade Transparency international index ( Corruption Perceptions Index Score for Australia at Transparency International is 81 (2013). 2 WOOD HARVESTED IN VIOLATION OF TRADITIONAL OR CIVIL RIGHTS The district of origin may be considered low in relation to the violation of traditional, civil and collective rights when all the following indicators are present: information used to assess the indicators 2.1 There is no UN Security Council ban on timber exports from the country concerned; Global Witness Australia is not listed. Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 4 of 10

5 2.2 The country or district is not designated as a source of conflict timber (E.g. USAID Type 1 conflict timber); The final report of the expert panel on illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2002, Annexes I and III (S/2002/1146) Australia is not designated as such. Conflict Timber: Dimensions of the Problem in Asia and Africa. Volume I. Synthesis report. June 2003, available at: There is no evidence of child labour or violation of ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at work taking place in forest areas in the district concerned FSC National Initiatives and Regional Offices contacts ILO country offices describes that no evidence of child labour or violation of ILO fundamental principles on a remarkable scale is known to occur. Although Australia has not ratified ILO Convention No.138: Minimum Age, Australia has strict labour laws and these laws provide for the employment of children. In Victoria, the Child Employment Act 2003 outlines strict conditions of employment to ensure there is no violation of children s rights. act/cea / South Australia has no specific child labour laws, however the Fair Work Act 2009 stipulates general work regulations for all workers. C00342 There is a Child Employment Bill 2011 at the link. Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 5 of 10

6 / 2.4 There are recognised and equitable processes in place to resolve conflicts of substantial magnitude pertaining to traditional rights including use rights, cultural interests or traditional cultural identity in the district concerned; FSC National Initiatives and Regional Offices contacts Indigenous Peoples Organizations Local community associations in the district Risk register National Sources (e.g. records of land claims negotiation concluded or in progress, summaries of court decisions) describes that no evidence that current legislation and related practices are not recognised or equitable. The Native Title Act 1993 protects the rights of indigenous peoples and the use of their land. Compilation1.nsf/0/C58417D CA BD01?OpenDocument Judicial system based on the federal law of Australia has procedures for conflict resolutions by the legal system There is no evidence of violation of the ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples taking place in the forest areas in the district concerned. FSC National Initiatives and Regional Offices contacts ILO country offices describes that no evidence of violation of the ILO convention taking place in forest areas of district concerned. Although Australia has not ratified ILO Convention 169, The Native Title Act 1993 protects the rights of indigenous peoples and the use of their land. Compilation1.nsf/0/C58417D CA BD01?OpenDocument Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 6 of 10

7 3 WOOD HARVESTED FROM FOREST IN WHICH HIGH CONSERVATION VALUES ARE THREATENED BY MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES The district of origin may be considered low in relation to any threat to high conservation values if: a) indicator 3.1 is met; or b) indicator 3.2 eliminates (or greatly mitigates) the threat posed to the district of origin by non-compliance with 3.1 information used to assess the indicators 3.1 Forest management activities in the relevant level (eco-region, subeco-region, local) do not threaten eco-regionally significant high conservation values; Conservation International Biodiversity Hotspots ( otspots.aspx). IBRA bioregions ( e/bioregion-framework/ibra/index.html). Framework for Assessing High Conservation Values in Controlled Wood Risk Assessments in Australia ( There are HCV at every Bioregion in Australia so this indicator cannot be satisfied. 3.2 A strong system of protection (effective protected areas and legislation) is in place that ensures survival of the HCVs in the eco-region; World Bank "rule of law" index ( An annex 3 verification process must be carried out to demonstrate a strong system of control. Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 7 of 10

8 4 WOOD HARVESTED FROM AREAS BEING CONVERTED FROM FORESTS AND OTHER WOODED ECOSYSTEMS TO PLANTATIONS OR NON-FOREST USES The district of origin may be considered low in relation to conversion of forest to plantations or non-forest uses when the following indicator is present: [Note: the change from plantations to other land uses is not considered as conversion]. information used to assess the indicators 4.1 There is no net loss AND no significant rate of loss (> 0.5% per year) of natural forests and other naturally wooded ecosystems such as savannahs taking place in the eco-region in question FAO GOFC-GOLD Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment Conservation International Regional Analysis Program University of Maryland Department of Geography This FMU is plantation. UNEP/GRID Division of Early Warning and Assessment SERVIR Regional Monitoring and Visualization System for Mesoamerica (CARPE) Congo Basin Forest Partnership and CARPE CEC Joint Research Centre INPE-PRODES Brazil s National Institute for Space Research Hansen, M., DeFries, R., Townshend, J.R., Carroll, M., Dimiceli,C., Sohlberg, R m MODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields. College Park, Maryland: The Global Land Cover Facility. Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 8 of 10

9 National data sources FSC National Initiatives and Regional Offices contacts 5 WOOD FROM FORESTS IN WHICH GENETICALLY MODIFIED TREES ARE PLANTED related to wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted information used to assess the indicators 5.1 The district of origin may be considered low in relation to wood from genetically modified trees when one of the following indicators is complied with: 5.2 There is no commercial use of genetically modified trees of the species concerned taking place in the country or district concerned. OR 5.3 Licenses are required for commercial use of genetically modified trees and there are no licenses for commercial use OR FAO, Preliminary review of biotechnology in forestry, including genetic modification. Forest Genetic Resources Working Paper FGR/59E. Forest Resources Development Service, Forest Resources Division, Rome, Italy. Available online: 0.HTM National and regional data sources There is no commercial use of genetically modified trees in Australia. Press release by FAO (2005) says that only china has plantations for commercial purposes with GM Populus. doc.htm Press release by Forestry agency in Japan (2007) also says that there is no commercial use of genetically modified trees in the world. html 5.4 It is forbidden to use genetically modified trees commercially in the country concerned. Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 9 of 10

10 6 GENERAL information used to assess the indicators General search on the company e.g. Google Negative information regarding the of the wood source is not detected from web based research. End of report Doc No: 1138 Issue No: Issued: 14/08/15 Page 10 of 10