The Wilderness Society’s claim that Bunnings are “greenwashing” popular NSW hardwoods, including blackbutt, flooded gum, spotted gum, Sydney blue gum, and grey ironbark, is underpinned by the argument that it cannot ‘ensure’ that all timber carrying PEFC certification from the state‑owned Forestry Corporation hardwood division is legally harvested.
In a letter obtained by Wood Central — prepared by the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) and submitted to Lauren White, the Acting Executive General Manager, Consumer and Fair Trading for the ACCC — it alleges Bunnings may have breached the Australian Consumer Law by overstating the legality and sustainability of its timber products: “Making certain or guaranteeing an outcome (that all timber supplied is harvested legally) goes beyond seeking or aiming to — it means that illegally harvested timber does not enter its supply chain,” it said.
At the heart of the complaint is Bunnings’ public claims that it “excludes timber sources where the material was illegally harvested or traded,” a pledge that saw the retailer discontinue the sale of Vic Ash timbers in stores amid allegations (and since overturned) that the state-owned VicForests breached the Victorian Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014 in the lead up to the 2020 State Election.
Now, the Wilderness Society said that precedent should apply to timbers from NSW’s state-owned native forests, which it says has a documented record of unlawful operations. Armed with a 2024 judgment by Justice Rachel Pepper of the NSW Land and Environment Court, which found that Forestry Corporation had a “significant history of unlawfully carrying out forestry operations,” it’s supported by evidence from NSW’s Environment Protection Authority which found a “pattern of environmental offending” as well as a failure to demonstrate meaningful steps to prevent reoffending, especially in relation to the southern greater glider.
Some of the claims made in the letter are ‘dubious’ according to a legal expert
Wood Central can exclusively reveal that the new claims are not the first ACCC action against Bunnings for stocking NSW hardwood timbers used in decking, flooring, and cladding in-store, with an almost identical claim made against a separate timber manufacturer last year. “This is a deliberate strategy to use power and influence to bully retailers into dropping NSW hardwood from the aisles,” according Stuart Coppock, a legal expert with knowledge of the current and previous case.
“From a legal standpoint, the claims are dubious. Whilst Forestry Corporation pleaded guilty to two breaches of the NSW Coastal IFOA (in 2024), the judicial commentary (provided by Justice Pepper) on the history does not blanket all Forestry Corporation operations. The fact that there were particular and specific issues in this matter, conveniently ignored by the NSW EPA and environmentalists, is important in relation to the letter.”
Stuart Coppock, a legal expert on this matter who spoke to Wood Central.
PEFC certification is not enough, according to the Wilderness Society
The EDO also challenges Bunnings’ over-reliance on PEFC forest certification, which the Wilderness Society claims is an inferior standard to FSC, as proof of responsible sourcing: “Despite the numerous environmental offences which Forestry Corporation has committed and the extent of unlawful damage it has allegedly caused to forests, Forestry Corporation maintained PEFC certification,” the EDO wrote. “Consequently, in our client’s view, it is difficult to see how the representation that certification ensures forests are protected or conserved could possibly be accurate.”
Today, Wood Central spoke to a representative of Responsible Wood, the national governing body for PEFC in Australia, who slammed claims that its scheme “allows illegal logging,” is “dodgy,” and “harms endangered species” as incorrect and potentially misleading: “The foundation of PEFC certification is certified timber that is sourced legally, deforestation-free and has followed an ethical and responsible supply chain, which has been verified by an independent review commissioned by Forest & Wood Products Australia. The system includes 215 different sustainability indicators, including biodiversity, cultural heritage and environmental and social safeguards that forest managers must meet to maintain certification,” the spokesperson said.
Please note: Wood Central understands that the ACCC has now received the letter and that an assessor will review the issues in accordance with the ACCC’s Compliance and Enforcement Policy.
