Australia Boosts Illegal Logging Regulations in Line with Global Standards

Posted on September 16, 2024   |  

Up to 10% of timber entering Australia could be illegal, leading the government to tighten regulations as part of a global crackdown.

Countries like the EU, the US, New Zealand, Japan, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia have passed laws to fight the illegal timber trade, which is tied to drug trafficking and lost government revenue.

Illegal logging harms the environment and lowers the price of legal timber by 7-16%, affecting both nature and economies.

Australia's Department of Agriculture reviewed its 2012 Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation with input from governments, NGOs, and industry groups.

This led to a new bill, the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment Bill 2024, aimed at increasing enforcement, allowing timber seizures, and making non-compliance public at ports.

Australia is also investing $4.4 million in DNA testing to create the world’s largest forest identification database, the WFID.