Reviews and consultations
Current review
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Sunsetting Review of the Illegal Logging Regulation 2012
We are reviewing the Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation 2012. The Review will help us:
- understand if the Regulation still protects the Australian market from illegally logged timber
- consider ways to strengthen Australia’s illegal logging laws.
We aim to complete the Review by the end of 2021. We will then decide whether to:
- remake the Regulation
- change the illegal logging laws.
The Regulation is due to no longer have effect (sunset) 1 April 2023.
Why we are reviewing the Regulation
The Regulation aims to prevent the trading of illegally logged timber in Australia. Both importers and processors of select timber products must assess the risk of sourcing illegally logged timber. Penalties apply for importing or processing illegally logged timber under Australia’s laws. Penalties also apply for failing to assess and manage the risks of illegal logging in supply chains.
Options we are considering
Some of the ways the laws could be improved include:
- reducing the instances where importers and processors must reassess illegal logging risks
- requiring that before bringing each regulated product into Australia, importers declare the:
- timber species
- harvest location
- risk of illegal logging.
- reducing requirements for lower risk products
- simplifying requirements for low volume importers and processors
- revising the products covered by the laws
- adding powers to sample or seize goods at the border
- using wood ID techniques to check claims about timber types and origins.
Have your say
Your feedback can help shape the future of Australia’s illegal logging laws.
Visit the Have your say website. Read our consultation paper and learn more about potential changes to the laws.
You can then take our short survey or upload your own submission. The review is open for public comment until 31 August 2021.
We may run workshops and webinars to support the review if we receive enough interest.
Get updates
Stay updated on upcoming events and other ways to be involved in the review, subscribe to our illegal logging mailing list.
Download the Consultation Paper
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Past reviews
We regularly review the operation of Australia’s illegal logging laws.
Read more information about our past reviews below.
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Statutory review of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012
We published a report examining the first 5 years of Australia’s illegal logging laws in January 2019. The ‘Statutory review of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012’:
- assessed the extent that the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 and associated Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation 2012 met our illegal logging policy objectives
- highlighted operational issues encountered during the Act’s first 5 years of operation
- identified potential options for improving the Act’s operation.
In October 2019, the government decided not to make significant changes to the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012. This decision was based on advice from the Forest Industry Advisory Council (FIAC) on the review’s outcomes.
We decided to give industry members an extended period of regulatory certainty, during which they could focus on ensuring they only trade in legally sourced wood products.
The 2021 review will consider future changes to the Act.
Download the Review Report
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
Statutory review of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 - Review report PDF  |
59 | 1.2 MB |
Statutory review of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 - Review report DOCX  |
59 | 2.1 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
2017 Regulation Impact Statement
In October 2017, we published the Reforming Australia’s illegal logging regulations - Regulation Impact Statement (RIS). The RIS built on the findings of the earlier KPMG Independent review
The RIS looked at options for reducing costs associated with complying with the due diligence requirements. It examined 6 potential regulatory options:
- Continue with the 'status quo'
- Change the consignment value threshold
- Remove personal imports
- Establish a deemed to comply arrangement for timber legality frameworks
- Establish a deemed to comply arrangement for Country or State Specific Guidelines
- Establish a deemed to comply arrangement for low-risk countries
The RIS was informed by a public consultation process undertaken in late 2016. A full list of the submissions made to the review can be found at the back of the RIS document.
The RIS resulted in a series of proposed regulatory amendments being tabled in Parliament in October 2017. These were intended to streamline and clarify the due diligence requirements. The key proposed reform was the establishment of a new 'deemed to comply' arrangement for products certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for Endorsement Certification (PEFC) schemes.
On 8 February 2018, the proposed ‘deemed to comply’ arrangement was debated in the Australian Senate and the associated regulatory amendments were disallowed. Other minor technical amendments that were progressed in the same package were not affected by the disallowance.Download the Regulation Impact Statement
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Reforming Australia’s illegal logging regulations – Regulation Impact Statement PDF |
66 | 2.0 MB |
| Reforming Australia’s illegal logging regulations – Regulation Impact Statement DOCX |
66 | 3.0 MB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
KPMG independent review
In December 2014, we commissioned KPMG to conduct an independent review of the illegal logging laws. The review examined whether the due diligence requirements struck an appropriate balance between:
- the costs of compliance for small businesses, and
- reducing the risk of illegally logged timber entering the Australian market
The review found there was an opportunity to amend the Regulation to strike a better balance between the two objectives.
Our response released in February 2016 provided in-principle support for the review’s findings. It committed to progressing a package of reforms. This included the consideration of regulatory reforms through a further RIS process .
Download the KPMG independent review
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
2011 Regulation Impact Statement
In 2011, we published the “Australian Government policy on illegally logged timber” Regulation Impact Statement (RIS). This was part of the development of Australia’s illegal logging laws. This original RIS assessed the potential costs and benefits for business, individuals and the Australian economy of regulatory options to restrict the importation of illegally logged timber into Australia.
Download the Regulation Impact Statement
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Small Business Impact Statement
This statement categorises the structure and nature of small businesses operating within the Australian forest products industry. It also assesses how the illegal logging policy will affect those businesses.
Download the Small Business Impact Statement
| Document | Pages | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business Impact Statement, Cailum Pty Ltd PDF |
28 | 471 KB |
| Small Business Impact Statement, Cailum Pty Ltd DOC |
28 | 617 KB |
If you have difficulty accessing these files, please visit web accessibility.
Illegal logging reporting
Call 1800 110 395
See Report Illegal Logging
Email Environment Compliance Branch