Matt de Jongh, Responsible Wood, Julian Elder, Scion, Pam McLean, the Ministry for Primary Industries, Andy Fleming, Rayioner New Zealand Limited, Carol Rivera, SGS New Zealand Limited, Colin Maunder Timberlands Limited, Sally Strang, Manulife Investment Management NZ Forest Management Limited, Murray Parrish, OJI Fibre Solutions NZ, Simon Dorries, Responsible Wood, Kit Richards, New Zealand Institute of Forestry, Graeme Gillies, ECG, and Robert Finch, Scion, attend the SCION workshop introducing stakeholders to AS / NZS 4708 in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Responsible Wood CEO Simon Dorries and Sustainability Manager Matt de Jongh have been travelling throughout New Zealand, introducing the new AS/NZS 4708 Sustainable Forest Management standard to the NZ market. Source: Timberbiz
This included hosting a workshop at SCION House, Rotorua, where Matt de Jongh and Simon Dorries introduced the new standard to a cross-section of PEFC certificate holders and stakeholders.
In December 2021, Responsible Wood published the new AS/NZS 4708:2021 – Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) principles standard.
Published for the first time as a Trans-Tasman Standard, the new Standard provides common benchmarks for sustainably managed Australian and New Zealand forests.
“It is important to communicate with certificate holders on the key changes to the new standard and that there is a two-year transition period.”
“It is also important to point out that the new standard is, for the first time, a joint Australian and New Zealand standard,” Mr de Jongh said.
Workshops throughout Australia and New Zealand will be held over coming months.
So far Mr de Jongh has presented workshops in Tasmania and Western Australia with upcoming workshops scheduled in Melbourne and Mount Gambier.
Mr Dorries and Mr de Jongh also visited a PEFC-certified Southwood Exports Limited Forest in Invercargill, New Zealand.
“PEFC certified since August 2017, it was a wonderful opportunity to meet with a certified forest manager and discuss the new Trans-Tasman Sustainable Forest Management Standard.” Mr de Jongh said.
PEFC continues to grow from strength to strength with more than 600,000 hectares of New Zealand defined forest now certified under the PEFC certification.
