Public consultation opens on revised FSC standards

Friday 4 Jul 2025

 
The Forest Stewardship Council® Australia and New Zealand (FSC ANZ) has launched the first public consultation on the revised FSC Forest Stewardship Standard (FSS) 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. 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.

“The Board considers the Forest Stewardship Standard to be the keystone of everything FSC ANZ does as an organisation, locking the whole together. We are grateful for the incredible work the SDG has put into developing this first draft," said James Felton-Taylor, Australian Sustainable Timbers, Chair of FSC ANZ. "We encourage everyone with a passion for responsible forestry to take part in the public consultation.”

Click here to access the revised FSS and to participate in the consultation.

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 – click here to register
  • 1 August, 10:00 – 11:30 AM AEST – click here 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.

What’s New in the Draft Revised Standard?

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.

A Call for Constructive Input

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.

Melanie Robertson, CEO of FSC ANZ, said, “the revision process is a powerful example of FSC’s ability to bring together environmental, social and economic interests to shape the future of responsible forest management. SDG members have brought extensive technical expertise and operational knowledge from across Australia’s regions and stakeholder groups to the revision work, working constructively to ensure the new and revised requirements are focused, streamlined, and clear in intent.”

If you have any questions, please contact Stefan Jensen, Senior Policy Manager at FSC ANZ and SDG facilitator: s.jensen@au.fsc.org Source & image credit: FSC ANZ 



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