What is Chain of Custody?
Chain of custody in the timber industry creates a verifiable path from forest to final product, helping prevent illegal logging and ensuring consumers can trust they're supporting sustainable forestry practices rather than contributing to deforestation. This tracking system is particularly crucial in preventing the trade of conflict timber from war-torn regions, where illegal logging revenues often finance armed groups and perpetuate human rights abuses.
Our Sustainable Resource
Plantation Grown
Austral Plywoods utilises Hoop Pine, a sustainable resource that is 100% plantation grown and managed by the HQPlantations. HQPlantations is the largest plantation company in Queensland and is committed to sustainable forest management. Forests under HQPlantations care are managed from a long-term, stewardship perspective that benefits the environment as well as stakeholders. The resource is RW certified.
HQPlantations
HQPlantations is independently certified under the Responsible Wood (RW) system. This forest certification system requires HQPlantations to meet internationally-accepted criteria for sustainable forest management covering economic, social, environmental and cultural perspectives. It also gives Queensland's timber industry access to a "chain of custody" process for green labelling its products as coming from sustainably managed forest resources when sourced from HQPlantations.
For more information, visit www.hqplantations.com.au.
Monarch of the Forest from Simon Woods on Vimeo.
What is Responsible Wood?
Responsible Wood is Australia's leading forest certification scheme, aimed at ensuring that wood products are sourced from sustainably managed forests. RW sets criteria for sustainable forest management from an economic, social, environmental and cultural perspective. It addresses aspects such as maintaining biological diversity, ecosystem health and vitality, soil and water quality and protecting indigenous cultural and spiritual values. Mutual recognition of RW with other similar national schemes by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) confers international status on RW.
Read about the similarities and differences between the PEFC and FSC environmental schemes.
For more information, visit www.responsiblewood.org.au.
Our RW/PEFC Certification
The Austral Plywoods product range is certified for Chain of Custody under AS 4707:2021. The Austral Plywoods Chain of Custody, linked to Responsible Wood (RW), was awarded through an independently audited process carried out by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA) - accredited by JAS-ANZ. (Download certificate)
Green Star timber credits available
Green Star timber credits are available for our RW/PEFC products. Please contact us for more information.
Important to us, important to you
Chain of Custody certification is essential for Austral Plywoods, as it demonstrates the importance we place on the responsible management of forests that supply this company. By customers choosing our products, they are supporting responsibly managed timber harvesting and processing, which is vital for the future of Australia's forestry and wood product resources.
