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FSC public consultation on revised National Risk Assessment

FSC ANZ wants its stakeholders to participate in the public consultation on its revised National Risk Assessment (NRA) for Australia. Source: Timberbiz

“FSC ANZ is undertaking an unscheduled revision of our National Risk Assessment to ensure the FSC Controlled Wood system continues to be properly implemented in Australia,” FSC ANZ CEO Melanie Robertson said.

The NRA is used by FSC Controlled Wood/Chain of Custody certificate holders to control uncertified materials from Australia so that those materials may be mixed with FSC-certified materials and used in products that carry the FSC Mix label.

“The strength, value, and quality of FSC’s normative documents are built on the active engagement of our stakeholders in their development and revision to ensure they are fit for purpose,” Ms Robertson said.

“We encourage all interested economic, environmental, and social stakeholders to participate in the consultation to ensure the changes proposed to the NRA are clear, auditable, and reasonable.

“The revision was prompted by the up listing of the east coast koala and the southern and central greater glider from vulnerable to endangered under the EPBC Act and a suite of recommendations provided by FSC’s assurance services provider, Assurance Services International (ASI), following an investigation in Australia.”

To assist in the revision of the NRA, the FSC ANZ Board established a chamber-balanced NRA Advisory Working Group tasked with proposing a draft of the revised NRA to the Board. Through constructive and careful deliberations, the Working Group recently reached consensus around a draft version of the revised NRA.

“FSC ANZ now invites all interested stakeholders to participate and provide their input to the proposed revisions to help ensure they are understandable, auditable, and reasonable,” Ms Robertson said.

The consultation runs until 19 February 2023.

The consultation material can be accessed on the FSC Consultations Platform. If you do not already have an FSC Consultations Platform account, you must register first before gaining access and participating. Additional information on the consultation will be provided on the FSC ANZ Newsfeed.