Forestry industry

The forestry industry includes:

• forestry gathering and growing activities
• logging activities – including logging, hewing, shaping, cutting or felling

You must be aware of the laws that apply to the forestry industry. Key legislation includes:

• Competition and Consumer Act 2010
• Australian Consumer Law (ACL)
• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
• Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012
• Native Title Act 1993

State or territory governments manage the licences and permits for the forestry industry.

The licences and permits you may need include:

• collecting, felling, transporting and burning timber or forests
• protecting forests and native plants
• protecting wildlife
• disposal of waste
• fire management and safety
• water usage or constructing a bore or well
• handling, storage and use of chemicals or dangerous substances

The forestry industry have specific Goods and Services Tax (GST)  measures. Know your GST obligations and register with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to ensure you can claim your GST credits.

Additional resources that detail tax measures for the forestry industry include:

• the ATO’s section on carbon sink forests which provide tax deductions for eligible forests
• the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment has information about tax offsets, deductions and concessions

Levies and charges fund activities that benefit the industry such as:

• research and development
• marketing and promotion

The main levies that apply to the forestry industry include levies on:

• forest and wood products
• forest growers

Additional levies and charges apply if you import or export forestry products.

If you employ staff, you need to comply with Australia’s national workplace laws specific to the forestry industry.

All businesses must comply with general occupational health and safety  regulations. The forestry industry also has state specific WHS requirements. These include:

• safety standards for separation of activities
• safety standards for maintaining safe distances
• standards for occupational safety signage
• standards for protective clothing and equipment
• manual handling safety standards
• workplace noise management
• prevention of falls
• handling & storage of hazardous substances

Forestry businesses often rely heavily on the environment and stand to have the biggest benefits and impacts. The main environmental issues that businesses in the forestry industry should understand include:

• sustainability
• reporting requirements
• waste management and reduction

The forestry industry and its businesses have access to protecting their general intellectual property. Other IP rights that may be relevant to the forestry industry include:

• Patents which protects inventions such as new machinery, new systems or new processes
• Plant Breeder's Rights which protects new plant varieties and grants exclusive rights to the plant breeder to use, sell and distribute the plant and receive royalties

Alongside compulsory insurances, the forestry industry has specific insurances. These insurances can cover:

• equipment and machinery
• property and buildings
• vehicles
• business interruption
• forests