At VicForests, caring for the environment in which we operate is our primary concern.  As leaders in sustainable forest management our activities are informed by the latest research and guided by best practice.  And it’s important to us that anyone who buys timber products harvested by VicForests can be secure in the knowledge that it has been harvested responsibly, sustainably and with care and respect for our forests.

So that’s why we are pleased with the latest independent audit which found our operations to be 95 per cent compliant overall and better than that in the five key environmental compliance areas.

As part of its Annual Forest Audit program, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) commissions an Environmental Protection Authority accredited auditor to conduct an audit of VicForests’ operations.

The 2019-20 audit found VicForests achieved more than 95 per cent compliance in:

• protection of forest soils
• protection of water flows, water quality and river health
• protection of biodiversity values
• road maintenance and closure practices
• coupe planning.  

These results are a testament to the hard work our passionate staff undertake in the forest with commitment and care for the environment.  Our staff are committed to continuously improving our practices and strive to demonstrate excellence in all that we do.

As part of our continuous improvement program, we use findings from these audits to improve our operational practices.  As a result of the 2019-20 audit, we will continue to increase our focus on improving road design, road construction and infrastructure in our harvesting operations.

Our harvesting operations are subject to the Code of Practice for Timber Production (2014) and the associated Management Standards and Procedures for timber harvesting operations in Victoria’s state forests (2014).

We are highly scrutinised with extensive internal, external, certification and regulatory audits, including Responsible Wood Certification Scheme.  This Scheme requires re-certification audits every three years and surveillance audits every nine months.

We welcome regular audits because protecting our precious flora and wildlife in our native forests to the very highest standards is central to everything we do.