Illegal Logging Compliance

We are responsible for ensuring compliance with Australia’s illegal logging laws.

We also provide assistance to importers and processors seeking to better understand the laws and their responsibilities.

Significant penalties can apply if you:

• import or process timber products that have come from illegally logged sources, and/or
• breach your due diligence requirements

Compliance Audits

We perform regular audits to assess compliance with due diligence requirements.

If you are selected for an audit, we will send you a Request for Information Notice. You need to provide the requested information by the date on the Request for Information Notice.

This will ask you for:

• A copy of your written due diligence system.
• Records that demonstrate how you applied your due diligence system to particular timber products or load of raw logs (as selected by us).

We will then audit how your due diligence practices meet the illegal logging laws’ requirements.

Where required, the department will take action to address non-compliance and enforce laws where this is required.​

The Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 and Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation 2012 include the following regulatory tools and response measures to encourage compliance with the illegal logging laws:

• infringement notices
• civil penalty provisions
• monitoring and investigation powers for inspectors appointed under the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012.

We will also provide general advice on how to understand and comply with the legislation for future imports/processing.

Our Illegal Logging Compliance Plan 2018 explains our approach to ensuring compliance with the laws.

An optional response template is provided below to assist importers who have been issued a Request for Information Notice.

For more information

If you have questions about your legal responsibilities and the due diligence requirements, please call the Illegal Logging Hotline 1800 657 313.

Alternatively, if you believe your supplier is dealing in illegally logged timber, you can call our Redline on 1800 803 006 for a confidential discussion or report suspected dealings in or undertakings of illegal logging activity via our online reporting form.

See Report Illegal Logging
Email Operational Intelligence and Coordination Branch.

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