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FSC Australian and NZ public consultation on revised stewardship standards

The Forest Stewardship Council Australia and New Zealand has launched the first public consultation on the revised FSC Forest Stewardship Standard for Australia. The public consultation marks an important milestone in the revision process initiated by FSC ANZ to ensure the FSS continues to promote best-practice responsible forest management and remains fit for purpose. Source: Timberbiz “The Board considers the Forest Stewardship Standard to be the keystone of everything FSC ANZ does as an organisation, locking the whole together,” new chair James Felton-Taylor said. “We are grateful for the incredible work the SDG has put into developing this first draft. We encourage everyone with a passion for responsible forestry to take part in the public consultation.” The consultation is open from 1 July to 31 August 2025. All stakeholders are invited to review the draft and provide feedback via the FSC Public Consultation Platform. To support stakeholder understanding and engagement, FSC ANZ will host two identical webinars presenting an overview of the revision process and the main proposed changes to the Standard: 29 July, 18:00 – 19:30 PM AEST – go to https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1bb8afa5-1b62-4480-92d3-8f171ed61965@124e69db-ef65-496b-96a9-5d56bec1d291 to register 1 August, 10:00 – 11:30 AM AEST – go to https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/6ed9666f-4fa4-48b1-bd63-81d7223b235f@124e69db-ef65-496b-96a9-5d56bec1d291 to register Members of the Standards Development Group (SDG), who drafted the revised version of the FSS, will attend both webinars. The webinars will not be recorded. Some of the most significant proposed changes include: Stricter controls on the use of highly hazardous pesticides Stronger safeguards for workers’ rights The introduction of the Indigenous Cultural Landscapes concept New cultural empathy requirements for specific forestry roles. Feedback from the consultation will be compiled by FSC ANZ and submitted to the SDG to inform the development of the second draft, scheduled for consultation in 2026. A public consultation report and the SDG’s formal responses to the feedback received will be shared in the second round of consultation. The SDG encourages all interested stakeholders to provide feedback on this first draft of the revised standard. It welcomes feedback that can help improve the draft and encourages stakeholders to be as constructive as possible in their feedback. Input that suggests how specific changes can be improved is especially welcome. If you have any questions contact Stefan Jensen, Senior Policy Manager at FSC ANZ and SDG facilitator: s.jensen@au.fsc.org For more information about the revision process, go to https://anz.fsc.org/forest-management-certification/revision-of-fsc-std-aus-01-2018-en-national-forest-stewardship Take part in the consultation go to https://consultation-platform.fsc.org/en/consultations/take/c3b2e63e12551