South East Fibre's woodchip mill, forestry operations in Eden, Australia, continue to meet criteria for Australian Forestry Standard, chain-of-custody and environmental management system certification

Wendy Lisney

LOS ANGELES , March 15, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – Australia's South East Fibre Exports Pty Ltd. (SEFE) recently received an auditor's praise for continuing to meet standards in forestry practices, chain of custody (CoC) and environmental management system (EMS) at its woodchip operations in Eden, the Eden Magnet reported March 15.

Independent auditor NCS International Pty Ltd. (NCSI) audited the SEFE timber harvesting and mill site last week. NCSI visited to determine if the operations continued to meet certification requirements for the Australian Forestry Standard (AFS), as well as CoC and EMS.

SEFE general manager Peter Mitchell said laying out the company's complete operation for an outside auditor is “expensive and thorough,” the Eden Magnet reported. He added that the sustainability certifications were important to buyers of SEFE woodchips, who use them to manufacture a number of paper products.

In the past, Sydney-based NCSI has quickly indicated any needed improvements, said Mitchell.

NCSI client manager Ross Garsden said SEFE had shown long-term commitment to meeting demanding standards and continual improvement, reported the Eden Magnet.

The forest products company chose to pursue certification and has held an EMS certificate since 2004. It has held AFS and CoC certificates since 2006.

The 80-employee SEFE mill exports both hardwood and softwood chips, primarily to Japan, according to the company website.

SEFE, a subsidiary of Japan's Nippon Paper Industries, owns 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) of land, mostly hardwood plantations, and about 30% native forest.


The primary source of this article is the Eden Magnet, Eden, New South Wales, Australia, March 15, 2012.

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