Resources for processors

We have developed the following guidance material to help you understand and meet your due diligence requirements under Australia’s illegal logging laws.

This guidance material aligns with the legislation and the way we conduct compliance assessments, audits and issue Requirements to Give Information and Produce Documents notices. It is the only departmentally endorsed guidance material and you should exercise caution when relying on other guidance resources.

We welcome your feedback on the guidance material so we can continue to refine and improve these resources into the future. You can provide feedback via email to illegallogging@aff.gov.au. 

State Specific Guidelines (SSGs) outline the legal frameworks used in each Australian state to regulate timber harvesting. They provide information to help you determine the risk of illegal logging for raw logs grown and processed in Australia. Each SSG is accompanied by a Quick Reference Guide, which provides a high-level overview of the SSG’s content.

SSGs currently endorsed by the Australian Government are provided below. We continue to work with state jurisdictions to routinely update SSGs. If a SSG for a particular state is not provided below, it either has not yet been developed or is no longer departmentally endorsed.

New South Wales State Specific Guideline

Queensland State Specific Guideline

South Australia State Specific Guideline

Tasmania State Specific Guideline

Victoria State Specific Guideline

Western Australia State Specific Guideline

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility.

A number of third parties have published material and developed online tools that can be used to inform your due diligence process. We have included a selection, which is not exhaustive, below.

How you use these resources is up to you. However, you need to be aware that you cannot rely on a third party risk assessment to satisfy your due diligence obligations. You still need to undertake your own due diligence process.

If you do use these resources, you should be aware that the information on these websites represents the views of a third party and may not be accurate, up to date, or relevant to your due diligence process.

If you have questions about the information in these resources, you should contact the publisher directly.

Disclaimer:

This content has been prepared to assist timber product importers understand, implement and comply with the requirements of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 and the Illegal Logging Prohibition Rules 2024 with respect of their due diligence obligations. It does not constitute legal advice. Timber product importers may elect to seek their own legal advice in relation to the legislation and related matters.

All third-party materials provided on this webpage are intended to be a guide only, and the Australian Government is unable to warrant its currentness, accuracy, completeness or suitability for any purpose. These materials may be subject to further change.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Australian Government acting through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry disclaims all liability, including liability for negligence and for any loss, damage, injury, expense or cost incurred by any person directly or indirectly as a result of accessing, using or relying on the information provided on this webpage.

Certification schemes

These resources may assist with the Certified Pathway risk assessment method which relies on forest certification standards as defined in s 4 of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Rules 2024.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – Public Search Database
The FSC maintains a database with information about certificate holders, logo and label users, certified products, and so on. This information can be used to help verify FSC certification claims.

FSC – Forest Management Certification Standard
The FSC has a forest management certification standard. Their website sets out the principles, criteria and indicators that a forest operation must adhere to before receiving an FSC forest management certification.

FSC - Chain of Custody Standard
The FSC provides a chain of custody certification. Their website includes information on the core requirements behind this standard.

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) – Public Search Database
The PEFC maintains a database with relevant information about certificate holders, logo and label users, certified products, and so on. This information can be used to help verify PEFC certification claims.

PEFC – Sustainable Forest Management Standard
The PEFC provides a sustainable forest management standard. Their website sets out the benchmark requirements that must be met to be endorsed by PEFC.

PEFC - Chain of Custody Standard
The PEFC provides a chain of custody standard. Their website lays out the requirements and conditions a company must meet for chain of custody certification.

Endangered Species

Australian Government – Trading in endangered species
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)’s website provides advice on the regulatory requirements associated with trading in endangered species, including timber species.

International Union for Conservation of Nature – Redlist of Threatened Species
The IUCN Redlist of Threatened Species lists plants and animals that are facing a high risk of global extinction. This includes information on geographical ranges and potential vulnerability to illegal logging.

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act – List of Threatened Species
This list includes all threatened flora and threatened ecological communities protected under our environmental legislation. This list may not align with state and territory protected species lists, so they are also worth checking for native species.

New South Wales - Biodiversity Conservation Act

Queensland – Threatened Species Listing Report

South Australia – National Parks and Wildlife Act

Tasmania – List of Threatened Species

Victoria – Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Threatened List

Western Australia – Threatened Plants

Northern Territory – Threatened Plants

Australian Capital Territory – Threatened Species and Ecological Communities

Timber Legality

Chatham House – Illegal Logging Portal
The Illegal Logging Portal provides information on the trade in illegal timber. This includes an overview of emerging issues and developments, reports, and a searchable database of global news articles.

Preferred by Nature – Timber sourcing hub
Preferred by Nature’s timber sourcing hub includes national timber legality risk assessments, with information on the risks associated with a particular country, and advice on mitigating actions.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Wood Risk Tool
Launched in 2023, the WWF wood risk tool (the tool) aims to help companies and other wood buyers and regulators to assess, understand, and manage risks associated with logging and trade, and contribute to a more sustainable future. The tool provides consolidated information from a range of sources to provide information on origin and species risk.

Other Resources

Global Timber Tracking Network (GTTN) - Service Provider Directory
GTTN’s Service Provider Directory provides a system to help anyone seeking wood identification services to find information on scientific methods and available laboratories.

Preferred by Nature – Guide to identifying fake documents
Preferred by Nature has produced a guide to identifying fake timber documentation. This includes examples of forged documents, ways of distinguishing between genuine and fake documents, and advice on what to do if you encounter fake documents.