❓ Hon Paul Llewellyn questions the Forest Products Commission (FPC) on log source verification. Hon Kim Chance acknowledges the delivery note system but admits inability to guarantee against illegally harvested logs, outlining steps for improvement, including cross-authorisation, a standards officer, and investigation into reintroducing hammer branding.
AnsweredQoN 716Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FOREST PRODUCTS COMMISSION - SALE OF LOGS
I refer to the Forest Products Commission’s sale of logs from state forests, FPC share farms and state-owned plantations. (1) Can the minister give an assurance that all logs being sold from state forest, FPC share farms, and state-owned plantations have full and verifiable documentation of their source? (2) If not - (a) why not; (b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993? Hon KIM CHANCE
I refer to the Forest Products Commission’s sale of logs from state forests, FPC share farms and state-owned plantations. (1) Can the minister give an assurance that all logs being sold from state forest, FPC share farms, and state-owned plantations have full and verifiable documentation of their source? (2) If not - (a) why not; (b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993? Hon KIM CHANCE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(1) Can the minister give an assurance that all logs being sold from state forest, FPC share farms, and state-owned plantations have full and verifiable documentation of their source? (2) If not - (a) why not; (b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(2) If not - (a) why not; (b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993?
(c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993?
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(1) Can the minister give an assurance that all logs being sold from state forest, FPC share farms, and state-owned plantations have full and verifiable documentation of their source? (2) If not - (a) why not; (b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(2) If not - (a) why not; (b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(b) what steps is the FPC taking to ensure that it can demonstrate that all logs delivered to buyers have been obtained legally; and (c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993?
(c) will the FPC reintroduce hammer branding of all stumps and logs that are intended for sale, which was the practice used in the logging industry until it was discontinued by the Department of Conservation and Land Management in 1993?
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
(1)-(2) All forest products of various types, including log timber, sold by the Forest Products Commission are accounted for under what is known as the delivery note system, as required by and detailed in the Forest Management Regulations 1993. However, it is not possible at this time to give an assurance that illegally harvested logs are not finding their way to mill landings. I have encouraged the FPC to put in place processes that can provide greater guarantees of integrity than are currently possible. This includes granting FPC and Department of Environment and Conservation officers cross-authorisation powers to police logs from both state forests and private property on mill landings; the employment of an FPC standards officer to monitor log grading and regulation enforcement - those two components have been carried out; and investigating the potential for the reintroduction of hammer branding of state-sourced sawlogs to enable better identification.
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