More than 465 Australian sites now operate a Responsible Wood or PEFC ‘chain of custody’ system —a high watermark for forest certification in the country. That is according to Responsible Wood’s 2024/25 Annual Report, published today.
“In 2024-25, we were notified by certification bodies that six chains of custody certificates had been withdrawn; however, we were delighted to receive thirteen new chain of custody certificates from organisations that attained certification,” the report said. “This leaves the total number of participating chain of custody certified sites as 371 as of 30th June 2025, up from 361 the previous year.”
However, with PEFC now capturing all types of information, including sites located in Australia but held by international certificate holders, “This represents an additional 100 sites attributed to Australia, and four to New Zealand,” the report added, with 17.2 million forests also covered by Responsible Wood certification.
The uptake comes as Responsible Wood toured certificate holders in regional Victoria, including Heartwood Plantations and Radial Timber, ahead of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday. “This has been another busy year for the board,” said Dr Tony Bartlett, Responsible Wood’s chair, in addressing members.
“Among the milestones was the finalisation of Responsible Wood’s Indigenous Communications and Engagement Protocol, which we hope will support greater progress in this important work, he said. “The board is grateful for the ongoing support of Responsible Wood’s members, and thanks our CEO (Simon Dorries) and staff (including Matt de Jongh, Jonathan Tibbits, and Tracey Shoenmakers) for their efforts in supporting the governance and operation.”
Joining Dr Bartlett on the Responsible Wood board are Mark Thomson, Michael O’Connor, David Bennett, Stuart West, David Little, Dr Kerrie Catchpoole, Christine Briggs, and Clarissa Brandt. For more information about Responsible Wood and forest certification, visit the Responsible Wood website.
