2017 Highlights FSC Australia

This year our mission was to make FSC valued and respected by stakeholders.

To achieve this we made significant progress on our stakeholder engagement guidelines, supported policy development increased our advocacy activity and conducted CSR and consumer research to support market demand.

Submission of Draft National Standard to FSC International

This year FSC made further progress to finalising the development of the first National Standard. The Standard progressed between Drafts 5 and 6.

Further consultation was required of the Standards Development Group (SDG) to reach agreement on a number of areas following submission of Draft 5. These included areas relating to workers’ rights, riparian definitions and representative sample areas (Annex D). These areas were significantly reduced for submission of Draft 6 to FSC International.

Draft 6 is likely to be considered at the International Policy and Standards Unit (PSU) decision meeting at the end of January 2018. FSC Australia would like to thank the SDG for all their work and continued participation in the development of the National Standard. All members have demonstrated an outstanding level of commitment to ensuring that the National Standard provides a robust framework for responsible forest management within Australia.


FSC Centralised National Risk Assessment for Controlled Wood standard (CNRA)


To ensure that risk assessments can be applied locally, taking into consideration countries’ specific social and geographical settings, working groups appointed at the national level are in the process of developing national risk assessments (NRAs). These are created following common normative procedures and are mandatory for companies seeking certification under FSC-STD-40-005 (Requirements for Sourcing FSC Controlled Wood), replacing assessments developed by companies. This year, FSC Australia has been working to develop a centralised national risk assessment for the controlled wood standard.


The CNRA is conducted by outsourcing the assessments according to one of the 5 controlled wood categories to external experts having a strong background and experience in areas relevant to the controlled wood categories. For Australia, a CNRA will be developed for the following categories:

• Category 3: Wood from forests in which HCV are threatened by management activities and;
• Category 4: Wood from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted.

FSC Australia is working with FSC International and the local experts to ensure the progress of the final report is delivered on time.

FSCA is strongly committed to enhancing its relationship with Indigenous Australians, particularly relating to economic, social and environmental conservation opportunities. Protecting the rights of, as well as creating opportunities for, indigenous communities is a key principle in FSCA’s approach to responsible forest management. Meaningful engagement with Indigenous Australians forms an integral part of the FSCA process. This year saw the launch of a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) which FSC Australia presented at our 11th AGM on the 25th May 2017. The commitment to embrace and integrate Aboriginal cultural values is reflected throughout the RAP. FSCA members welcomed the commitment that FSCA was making. As a small organisation, it has taken almost 2 years in the making to create the Innovation RAP which is a unique model that Reconciliation Australia now models other small businesses on. FSCA joins over 100 other Australian organisations with RAPs in place.

Central to FSCA’s Indigenous engagement is our Indigenous Working Group (IWG). The IWG have played an important role in the development of the National Standard as well as providing advice and guidance on the implementation of the RAP; the development and application of the Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines; and seeking opportunities for Indigenous Forest Enterprises seeking certification. The IWG held a meeting in May 2017 where members discussed the future opportunities for the IWG.

FSCA also actively participated in the 2017 NAIDOC week activities. NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia every July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The week is celebrated not just in the Indigenous communities but also in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils and workplaces. This year’s theme was Our Languages Matter, which aimed to emphasise and celebrate the unique and essential role that Indigenous languages play in cultural identity. FSCA took the opportunity to attend two NAIDOC week events including:

- The Footscray Flag Raising event involving a welcome to country, traditional smoking ceremony and flag raising.
- The Keelbundoora Scarred Tree and Heritage Trail including a guided tour of the Keelbundoora scarred tree and heritage trail led by Wurundjeri elder Ian Hunter.

FSCA recognises that as the nation’s original stewards of the land, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have historically maintained the health of Australia’s forests, and continue to perform this role through their unique knowledge of and continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. FSCA looks forward to developing stronger relationships with indigenous groups in 2018.