More Good News in Forestry as FT Achieves FSC Controlled Wood Certification

In another step forward for the State’s resurgent forest industry, Forestry Tasmania (FT) has achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Controlled Wood certification for its plantation operations.

This is a welcome development as the Government Business Enterprise continues to work towards gaining Full FSC Forest Management certification.

Achieving FSC Controlled Wood certification clearly demonstrates FT’s commitment to obtaining the more rigorous FSC Forest Management standard, and gives us renewed confidence that we are heading in the right direction.

The Hodgman Liberal Government’s plan is to deliver for the forest industry the resource and job security that it needs to continue to grow.

We are also committed to a sustainable future for FT, ending the public subsidies and re-establishing the business as Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

Forestry Tasmania already holds independent certification under the world’s largest forestry certification scheme, the Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification, through the Australian Forestry Standard. It also holds certification under the International Standards Organisation’s Environmental Management System.

Gaining FSC certification is not easy – and nor should it be – but FT and the Government believes the effort will prove to have been worthwhile.

In addition to meeting increasing market demands for this certification, FT is determined to use this opportunity to genuinely improve its operations.

Our efforts are aligned with those in the industry who have similarly been working hard to seize new opportunities for growth and job creation.

Only last week I visited with the State’s largest native forest sawmiller, Neville Smith Forest Products, which is investing $3 million through its subsidiary SmartFibre in a ground-breaking, value-adding partnership with SFM to deliver Tasmania’s first native forest exports carrying full FSC certification.

Under the Liberal Government, forestry is growing in confidence, and we are seeing new investment creating new jobs – our number one priority.
Guy Barnett, Minister for Resources