Timber harvesting compliance in Victoria’s State forests
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) is the environmental regulator responsible for commercial timber harvesting activities in Victoria’s State forests. Relevant timber harvesting operations include those managed by VicForests in eastern-Victoria, as well as those managed by DSE in other parts of the State.
Ensuring that commercial timber harvesting activities are compliant with Victoria’s regulatory framework is an important function of the DSE Forests Branch. This includes compliance with relevant legislation, regulations and guidelines, including those specified in the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2007.
The role of environmental auditing
Environmental audits can be used to measure compliance with the regulatory framework that applies to commercial timber harvesting and associated activities in Victoria's State forests and to assess environmental impacts. Audit findings can drive continual improvement in operational practices, and the public reporting of audit results increases the transparency of management arrangements and enhances public confidence.
Have your say on a new forest audit program
In 2009, DSE is developing an improved auditing program for commercial timber harvesting in Victoria’s State forests. DSE has engaged the services of Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd (ERM) to assist in the design of this new program.
The new audit program is being developed at the request of the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, in response to an independent review of the previous forest audit program administered by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). This new audit program will allow for the examination of a range of activities associated with timber harvesting including: forestry operational planning; roading; operational practices; and the conduct of timber harvesting organisations.
DSE aims to develop an efficient program that will include a variety of modern audit methods that are appropriate to the compliance elements being scrutinised. A method will also be devised to assist DSE in setting annual audit priorities and in picking which areas will be targeted in a given period.
DSE will contract third-party (independent) environmental auditors in 2010 to conduct audits and assess compliance with the relevant planning and operational guidelines. The auditors will provide independent reports that will be published on the DSE website.
How to get involved
Stakeholder consultation will be an important part of designing the new audit program. DSE plans to run a series of meetings in November and December 2009 to inform stakeholders about the project and ensure interested parties have an opportunity to contribute their ideas. To register your interest in participating in this consultation, or to receive information updates, please contact the DSE Customer Service Centre or email forest.audit@dse.vic.gov.au.
Previous forest audit programs
In 2002, the Victorian government released the Our Forests, Our Future policy with a commitment to make the application of the Code (1996 version) more transparent. The EPA engaged an independent environmental auditor to assess compliance with the Code in State forests between 2003 and 2007. Audit results from the previous forest audit program is available from the EPA website.
Responsibility for the forest audit program was handed back to DSE in 2008, and DSE undertook two pilot audits of VicForest’s to assess compliance with the Allocation Order and Timber Release Plan.
The 2007/08 audit sampled nine fire salvage coupes from the Tambo, Benalla/Mansfield and Central Gippsland Forest Management Areas, and concluded that VicForests’ fire salvage operations investigated were compliant with environmental standards set by the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004.
Audit report of VicForests' compliance with conditions of the Allocation Order and Approved Timber Release Plan 2007-2008 (PDF - 786 KB)
Accredited auditors
Commercial timber harvesting activities can be scrutinised through statutory environmental audits conducted by accredited third-party auditors.
The Environment Protection Act 1970 provides for the statutory appointment of environmental auditors and associated responsibilities. This ensures that independent, high quality and rigorous audits are conducted by appropriately qualified professionals.
