Australia has officially launched “Bringing Down the Axe – An Australian Government Policy to eliminate trade in illegally sourced forest products”.
The document, launched by the minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, senator Eric Abetz, in Tasmania, brings together various government policies and programmes related to legal and sustainable forest management and forest industry development, both in Australia and overseas.
The policy is designed to promote action at domestic, regional and international levels.
“The policy is an important first step towards achieving the government’s goal of ensuring that all timbers sold in Australia are sourced from legally and sustainably managed forests,” the policy concludes.
The government said successful implementation of the policy depends on the effective co-operation between the various stakeholders in the timber supply chain.
Eight measures in the new policy were developed in consultation with timber importers, wholesalers and retailers, the general public, other government agencies and NGOs.
