Lawmakers in Australia could introduce legislation modeled after the expanded U.S. Lacey Act later this year or early in 2013, according to a representative of Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Lawmakers in Australia could introduce legislation modeled after the expanded U.S. Lacey Act later this year or early in 2013, according to a representative of Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Australia's law, which has been anticipated since 2010, would prohibit the importation and domestic processing of illegally logged wood products. Also, Australia's law would rely on whether the source wood was legally harvested according to the laws in the country of origin. Importers would be required to follow yet-to-be-defined due diligence standards, and they would be required to submit a statement of compliance with each customs import.
Paul McNamara, assistant secretary with the department forestry division, outlined the future direction of the legislation during a stakeholder conference hosted July 5 at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. Even after the bill is approved by Australia's government, it would take another two years to reach full implementation.
While the U.S.'s Lacey Act does not contain any definition of due diligence, Australia's bill would outline "due diligence principles," according to a presentation by McNamara.
This summer, representatives from Australia's government met with representatives from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand to discuss the bill, and it is continuing to seek feedback.
The bill got off the ground in 2007 when the Australian Labor Party included a commitment to prohibit the importation of illegally logged wood in a manifesto for general elections, and in March 2011 an "exposure draft" was created. In June 2011, Australia's Senate Rural Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee made recommendations on the bill, and in November of that year a revised bill was published.