About us
We harvest, sell and regrow sustainable timber from Victoria's native forests.
VicForests is a body under the State Owned Enterprises Act managing the harvest, sale, and regrowing of sustainable timber from Victorian state forests on behalf of the Victorian Government.
In Victoria there is about 8 million hectares of public land, of which we only harvest about 3000 hectares, or 0.04 per cent, every year.
It’s important to us that anyone who buys timber products harvested by VicForests can be secure in the knowledge that it has been harvested responsibly, sustainably and with care and respect for our forests.
VicForests is certified to the Australian Forestry Standard on sustainable forest management. The Australian Forestry Standard (AS4708) is administered under the Responsible Wood Certification Scheme, which in turn is endorsed by the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) – the largest forest certification scheme in the world.
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do
We are proud of the way we harvest, sell and regrow sustainable timber, while ensuring that protecting our precious wildlife in our native forests is central to everything we do.
Before any harvesting we conduct extensive flora, fauna and habitat surveys which tell us which prescriptions are needed to protect important environmental and cultural values, including retaining hollow-bearing trees to protect species that live within them.
Forest regeneration is essential to our work and values. We replant harvested areas with the same type of forest that was originally there for the future enjoyment of generations to come and to meet our regulatory obligations for forest regeneration.
- All VicForests’ timber harvesting and regeneration operations have been conducted in line with Victoria’s environmental regulations including the State’s Forest Management Zoning scheme. Our activities are highly scrutinised through extensive internal, external, certification and regulatory audits.
- Harvesting activities are planned and conducted in accordance with the Victorian Government’s Allocation Order made under the Sustainable Forests (Timber) Act 2004. The Allocation Order sets out the maximum five-year harvest area limits for sustainable timber production in Victoria. The Annual Allocation Order Compliance Reports demonstrate VicForests has carried out its functions in accordance with the Allocation Order and consistently harvests less than the maximum harvest area limits set by government.
- Our harvesting operations are subject to oversight by the independent Office of the Conservation Regulator and its strict regulatory requirements to ensure the protection of threatened flora and fauna and their habitat.
- VicForests is certified to the Australian Standard for Sustainable Forest Management (AS4708). This means we are assessed by an independent and accredited third-party certification body against stringent environmental, social and economic criteria to meet the high quality sustainable forest management principles of that Standard. We have held this certification since 2007.
'We always take our responsibility of sustainably harvesting coupes within our state forests for today and future generations seriously.'
We are forest people
The care and sustainability of Victorian native forests is our primary concern. Many of our staff have specialist degrees and are passionate about the health of our forest ecosystems.
We employ a variety of professionals in a range of fields from environmental and forest scientists to ecologists, policy and compliance officers, research and modelling analysts.
Our timber has a unique hardness, strength, durability and beauty
Victoria's native timber industry contributes hundreds of millions of dollars and supports thousands of local jobs each year.
Beyond those directly involved in the forestry industry, all Victorians benefit from the operations of VicForests that produce high quality timber products. We provide the state with structural timber used for homes, high grade wood for furniture, pallets, musical instruments and a range of other everyday and essential products.
Chances are that every Victorian uses VicForests products.
