New laws have recently been proposed by the federal government to prevent the importation of illegally logged timber.
On the 23rd November 2011, the federal government tabled its ‘“The Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill’ which, if passed, will make it a criminal offence to import illegally logged timber to Australia. Currently no such law exists, and according to Greenpeace, the value of illegally logged timber entering Australia is estimated to be between $480 million and $840 million.
Much of the wood of ‘suspicious’ origins that arrives on Australian shores is in the form of decking materials, outdoor furniture and plywood for construction. The call comes at around the same time as Indonesia is pushing for assistance in stamping out the illegal logging trade and fight deforestation. President Susilo Bambang Yudhuyono was quoted in the Jakarta Globe in the same week urging those in other countries only to buy legally logged timber.
“Whenever we sell timber, we take the heat for deforestation. Certainly there are violations everywhere, which is what we’re cracking down on, but the truth is that there are also fences outside the country,” said Yudhuyono. “Other countries should stop fencing illegally felled timber.”
Under the new laws, those found importing or selling illegally logged timber products could be gaoled for up to five years. The bill is expected to be voted on early in 2012.
