As featured in the Timber and Forestry E News
In December 2021, Responsible Wood published the new AS/NZS 4708:2021 – Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) principles standard.
Click here to register your details and download the new standard
Published for the first time as a Trans-Tasman Standard, the new Standard provides common benchmarks for sustainably managed Australian and New Zealand forests.
The Australia-New Zealand Standard (AS / NZS 4708), along with the Australian Standard for Chain of Custody for Forest Products (AS / NZS 4707) are key components of the Responsible Wood Certification Scheme.
Responsible Wood, Sustainability Manager, Matt de Jongh, has spent the last week in Tasmania meeting with Sustainable Forest Management certificate holders, discussing the new standard.
This included hosting a workshop in Campbell Town with all the Tasmanian Sustainable Forest Management certificate holders in attendance. Matt also attended and spoke at the Tasmanian Forests and Forest Products Network, breakfast in Launceston.
“It is important to communicate with certificate holders on the key changes to the new standard and that there is a two-year transition period,” Mr de Jongh said.
“Therefore, certificate holders have until March 10, 2024, to transition to the new standard,” he said. “It is also important to point out that the new standard is now a revised joint Australian and New Zealand standard.”
Most importantly, forest certification through Responsible Wood provided a mechanism to promote the sustainable management of Australia’s forests and ensured forest-based products reached the marketplace had been sourced from sustainably managed forests, Mr de Jongh said.
Matt de Jongh is planning to meet with all Sustainable Forest Management certificate holders, both in Australia and New Zealand over the coming months.
For more information about Responsible Wood, Sustainable Forest Management and the new standard please visit the Responsible Wood website.
Left to right as follows: Matt de Jongh, of Responsible Wood, Daniel Hodge of Sustainable Timber Tasmania, Tony Stonjek of AKS Forest Solutions, Mark Leech of Fine Timber Tasmania, Gayle Quin of Timberlands Pacific, Sandra Hetherington of Norske Skog, Dan Ryan of AKS Forest Solutions, Leanne Chappell of SFM Forest Products, Simon Cook of Forico, Ann Lasla of Forico and Darryn Crook of Reliance Forest Fibre.
Caption: Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s Daniel Hodge and Lachie Clark explaining to Matt de Jongh of Responsible Wood how this tree is identified and retained at a harvesting operation due to it’s size.
