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FSC is inviting proposals for the review and revision of existing national and centralised risk assessments related to forest products. The objective is to align these assessments with the FSC-PRO-60-006b Risk Assessment Framework. Source: Timberbiz Australia is among the 22 countries included in this phase of the work. FSC strongly encourages local organisations with relevant experience in forestry, supply chain due diligence, legality verification, Indigenous rights, and stakeholder engagement to consider applying. Risk assessments are essential to FSC’s mission. They help determine the risk of sourcing unacceptable material in a given country or region and provide guidance for implementing due diligence under FSC Controlled Wood requirements. These assessments are used by certificate holders, certification bodies and supply chain actors to ensure that FSC-certified products are not linked to illegal logging, human rights violations or other unacceptable activities. While existing risk assessments provide a valuable foundation, they must now be reviewed, updated and aligned with the revised risk assessment framework to ensure consistency and robustness across the system. This assignment involves: Reviewing the current NRA or CNRA for the country Identifying any information gaps or inconsistencies Conducting independent research to close those gaps Consulting relevant stakeholders Preparing revised draft assessments for FSC review and approval The following countries are included in this round of work: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Guatemala, Honduras, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, South Africa, Thailand, and Uruguay. If you or your organisation possess the required qualifications and experience for this type of work, FSC would like you to submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements outlined in the Request for Proposal (RFP). You can also find Annexes, which include: FSC Service Agreement Template. The contract that will be signed between the vendor and FSC, if the award is granted. The template is provided for your information and consideration. FSC RFP Clarifications Template. Please use the template in case further clarifications to the RfP are needed from your part. FSC Price Sheet Template. Please fill out the Price Sheet for each deliverable stated in the DELIVERABLES section and submit it in both, PDF (signed) and XLS format. In the same file please also indicate your availability for interview in the provided schedule. Applications are due by 10 September 2025. More information is at https://anz.fsc.org If you have any questions or would like to discuss this opportunity in the Australian or New Zealand context, please don’t hesitate to contact the FSC team via info@au.fsc.org.

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The influence of raw logs on the forestry sector’s exports has surged in the past decade, with the commodity now accounting for over half the sector’s total export earnings. Source: FarmersWeekly Data from Figure.NZ shows export log income dependency has grown by a third since 2015, when logs made up only 42% of export income. Last year they accounted for 56%, with forecasts estimating this proportion will level off in coming years. Mark Ross, CEO of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association, said the “log effect” on the sector has been driven particularly strongly since 2019 by the removal of Chinese tariffs on all wood products under the terms of the New Zealand-China free trade agreement. “For forest owners the best price for a commercial decision has been to export logs. We are, however, hoping this will start to turn in the coming years.” He said with the sector’s longer-term goal of doubling exports over 10 years there is no chance it could be achieved under existing forested areas through logs alone. He said the sector wrestles with a perception in overseas markets that pinus radiata is not a quality timber product. There is a need for wider industry promotion of “NZ Inc” timber to grow awareness of its inherent quality. “This is something we have done in the United States, and it needs to be done in more markets.” He said this could include a certified label, or simply having the industry work better together on promotional efforts. “Unlike some sectors, take for example kiwifruit or dairy, we do not have people on the ground in markets to promote our timber. It’s something we have spoken about, particularly if we want to double our exports.” Wood processors do not contribute to an industry levy fund, Mr Ross said, and there has not been a lot of enthusiasm for this despite its potential value. There are now few markets where tariffs themselves are insurmountable obstacles to building volumes, but there are ongoing challenges of non-tariff barriers like building regulations. For example, Australian building regulations for timber “stiffness” limit the ability of NZ to supply the market. Meantime Australian state and federal governments offer attractive grants to timber processors. This includes a $110 million federal grant funding option as part of a $300m industry support package. Mr Ross said it is welcome news to hear how much support NZ is getting from the building industry in the United States as its government considers new tariff levels. Even the US Chamber of Commerce is recommending that timber and timber products remain tariff free. “And they are often on the right side of US trade decisions, so we stay hopeful.” A report on timber imports into the US is due late November, and US President Donald Trump is supposed to wait for the report before enacting levies. This takes the timeline to early next March to decide on measures. Here at home, Mr Ross is hopeful the flatter log returns are prompting more log suppliers to consider meeting demand from local mills and processors. “It’s been hard to get longer term contracts for supply locally with so many logs going to export. We are hoping this is turning around a little now.”  

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The Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) says the state government and Hydro Tasmania are sending mixed messages about whether there is enough power for Boyer Mill’s proposed electrification project. Source: Pulse Tasmania AMWU State Organiser Jacob Batt has warned the confusion is putting hundreds of jobs and Tasmania’s industrial future at risk. Mr Batt said workers are “concerned and confused” after hearing conflicting claims that extra power is both available and not available for the mill’s plan to switch its boilers from coal to electricity. “It’s extremely difficult to understand, is there enough power, isn’t there enough power, when the government is saying one thing and Hydro Tasmania are saying another,” Batt said. The dispute centres on Boyer Mill’s plan to replace its coal-fired boilers with electric alternatives as part of its efforts to cut carbon emissions. The mill, which has operated for more than 80 years and directly employs over 300 people, needs extra power to make the transition stack up. Batt believes Hydro is failing to live up to its ministerial charter to provide affordable power, support jobs and help grow the state’s economy. He claimed the state-owned utility was “putting its nose at the Tasmanian government” and placing commercial interests ahead of local industry. “By Hydro Tasmania not offering Tasmanian prices of cheap energy for additional energy to Boyer Mill is in direct conflict with the ministerial charter,” he said. The union is calling for urgent action to resolve the pricing dispute and set a clear energy policy to attract major industrial investment to Tasmania. The AMWU says it will seek commitments from all parties before the state election to make sure Hydro follows its charter and backs Tasmanian industry with competitive power prices. Hydro Tasmania previously told Pulse that extra power is available and can be sourced for the mill and that discussions are ongoing.

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The Murray Region Forestry Hub has welcomed the release of the Australian Government’s Timber Fibre Strategy, commending it as a future-focused and science-backed plan that supports the sustainable growth of Australia’s forestry and fibre sector. Source: Timberbiz “Congratulations to the Government for delivering on its commitment to deliver this strategy, and to those who worked to bring this important strategy together – particularly members of the Partnership and the Department,” said Carlie Porteous, Hub Manager. The Strategy has been developed with strong collaboration across government, industry, and the workforce. It is supported by both employers and unions alike, reflecting a shared vision for a resilient and forward-thinking timber and fibre industry that continues to supply Australian builders and businesses with the wood products they need and use every day. The members of the Hub voice their strong support for the Strategy, particularly its focus on enabling the expansion of existing industries and encouraging long-term investment and innovation. “The Hub is ready to support any work that contributes to meeting the goals outlined in the Strategy,” Rab Green, Vice Chair SWG said. “We’re especially encouraged by its alignment with industry priorities and the recognition of the role regional forestry hubs can play in delivering practical, on-the-ground outcomes.” The Hub encourages the Government to commit to keeping the Strategy an active, living document – with regular check-ins, updates, and engagement mechanisms to avoid it becoming something that “sits on the shelf.” “This Strategy represents a real opportunity to shape the future of forestry in Australia. Let’s make sure it’s implemented with purpose and remains responsive to the challenges and opportunities ahead,” Mr Green said.

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Tasmania is fortunate to have large areas of ‘Wilderness’ where nature takes care of its own. These are globally recognised World Heritage Areas. Some 58.7% of Tasmania’s forests are in some form of formal or informal reserves. However, reserves are usually poorly managed for bio (and genetic) diversity, being at the mercy of wildfire or chance events. All eggs should not be placed in one basket (reservation). There is equal conservation value in creating large areas of actively managed forest with some control and planning over the frequency and intensity of disturbances that shape these forests, especially fire dependent forest communities. A diversity of forest stages of development across both space and time is also critical. Regrowth forests can become old growth! Currently, only around 20% of Tasmania’s public forests are available for production forestry. It is acknowledged that temperate rainforest communities require extensive periods without disturbance and are excluded from forest harvesting in Tasmania. Eucalypt forest lockup favours the later stages of the forest cycle, at the expense of earlier phases characterised by a greater proportion of smaller shrubs and herbaceous plants. Eucalypt forest lockup also encourages fuel build up resulting in the inevitable, intense, uncontrolled wildfire potentially burning out hundreds of thousands of hectares in a single fire season. For example, at the beginning of 2025 the West Coast fire burnt out some 94,000 ha including areas of National Park (Source TFS.), and the 2018- 2019 fires on the central plateau and western Tasmania burnt out some 205,000 ha, some 16% being fire sensitive communities. (Source PWS) In rural communities there is increased threat to life and property from wildfire. Green policy has failed to value regrowth forests. Talk is only of the value of ‘old growth’ or ‘ancient’ forests. However, today’s regrowth forests, allowed to mature, are tomorrow’s old growth, or ‘ancient’ forests. Remember, forest species are dynamic, many requiring fire or disturbance to complete their lifecycles. Diversity in forest age is an important component of biodiversity conservation that appears to have escaped the attention of many. Total forest lock-up policy is akin to us valuing only the elderly our community, with no value placed on our children (and producing them for the next generation!) or working adults (taxpayers!) – complete forest lockup policy makes no sense. Ending native forest harvesting and active native forest management amounts to ecological madness, has no scientific basis, and are driven by political aspiration and self-interest, with no regard to forest ecology, forest conservation or regional economies. David Bower is a graduate in biological sciences, a professional forester and carbon asset manager.

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