One of Australia’s biggest environment groups has accused Bunnings of “greenwashing” its timber, claiming it may have sold products illegally logged by the New South Wales forestry agency.
The Wilderness Society (TWS) has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate the hardware and garden chain because it could be selling unlawfully logged timber, despite Bunnings’ policies and websites promoting responsible sourcing.
The complaint cites the NSW Forestry Corporation’s string of convictions for breaches of environmental regulations, and alleges timber from operations later found to have involved unlawful activity may have made it to Bunnings’ shelves via third-party wood suppliers.
TWS has asked the ACCC to examine whether Bunnings’ claims about responsible sourcing had the effect of making its timber “seem better (or less harmful) for the environment than it really is”. The group alleged this would amount to misleading or deceptive conduct, if proven.
The ACCC has confirmed it had received the TWS complaint, which it said “will be assessed in accordance with our Compliance and Enforcement Policy”.
“The ACCC does not generally comment on reports it receives or potential investigations,” a spokesperson said.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
The group’s NSW campaigns manager, Victoria Jack, said that “Bunnings customers don’t want their next project to come at the expense of native forests”.
“Bunnings makes out that its timber is from legal sources and doesn’t impact endangered species. Yet our research tells a different story,” she said.
“What customers are paying for at the checkout could be timber made of greater glider or swift parrot habitat, which could even be illegally logged. Australia’s forests are too precious to be for sale on a Bunnings shelf.”
Bunnings sells timber sourced from NSW Forestry Corporation via a number of local suppliers.
A spokesperson said: “Bunnings is committed to sourcing timber and wood products which originate from compliant and well-managed forest operations.”
They said Bunnings required natural forest timber products to be sourced from forests independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
“NSW Forestry Corporation meets this requirement,” they said.
‘Unprecedented situation’
The state-owned forestry corporation has been convicted of more than a dozen environmental offences and is facing charges on dozens more. A judgment in the land and environment court last year found the agency was likely to reoffend and had poor prospects of rehabilitation.
In correspondence with TWS in November, the NSW Environment Protection Authority said it “has not previously seized timber harvested in connection with alleged native vegetation offences” to prevent it from entering the supply chain.
NSW Forestry Corporation’s native forest operations have been certified under the Responsible Wood scheme endorsed by the PEFC. It does not have FSC certification.
But TWS’ complaint raises concerns that the agency has retained this certification, despite its convictions for environmental offences.
Prof David Heilpern, a former magistrate and the dean of law at Southern Cross University who has likened the NSW forestry agency to a “criminal organisation”, said he hoped the TWS complaint would be taken seriously.
“It arises from the unprecedented situation where a government supplier of a product has been convicted of a series of offences relating to illegal activities on public land,” Heilpern said.
“It creates huge hurdles for consumers, and retailers, who wish to ensure or represent that the product is not tainted by this illegality.
“It further raises the issue of how to deal with a product that should not have been logged – but is. We have other legislation and regimes that deal with proceeds of crime, but not for situations like this.”
A NSW Forestry Corporation spokesperson said “timber harvesting in NSW public native forests is lawful and conducted under strict regulations, approvals and oversight”.
They said the agency operated under one of the “most stringent forestry regulatory frameworks in the world” with logging subject to detailed planning and environmental rules, regular inspections and third-party certification. They said the Forestry Corporation regularly audits its operations.
“Where issues are identified, we cooperate fully with regulators, address the findings, and implement strengthened processes as required,” they said.
