In November 2018, a Queensland-based importer was served with the first infringement notice issued under Australia’s illegal logging laws. The notice was issued for ongoing non-compliance with the laws’ due diligence requirements and resulted in the business being penalised $12,600.
The issuance of the infringement notice reflects the Department’s implementation of a full compliance model for the illegal logging laws, with the “soft start-compliance period” ending in January 2018.
In administering the illegal logging laws, we continue to audit importers and processors to assess their compliance with the laws’ requirements. We have now audited over 600 businesses and provided a range of advice on whether their due diligence systems meet the laws’ requirements. More compliance audits are scheduled for 2019.
We have provided information to remind you of your obligations and due diligence requirements and you must also provide us with a statement as per the attachment.
