Aust joins global illegal timber fight

FORESTRY Minister Joe Ludwig says Australia has joined the global struggle against the trade in illegally logged timber.

Senator Ludwig says it will be an offence to import illegally logged timber into the Australian market and to process timber illegally harvested in Australia after the passage of a government bill through the Senate on Monday.

"It places requirements on Australian importers and processors - not on our trading partners or exporters," he said in a statement.

Senator Ludwig said the government had consulted with importers, processors, industry, retailers, conservation groups and Australia's trading partners to develop the act.

He said the legislation now brought Australia into line with the European Union and US in taking action to stop the trade of illegally logged timber.

Senator Ludwig said about nine per cent of the timber coming into Australia was illegally logged, costing hundreds of millions.

"The broad assessment would be around $400 million but again I wouldn't say with any degree of accuracy that is the number," he told the chamber on Monday.

Environmental groups supported the bill's passage.

"This law gives more confidence to Australians buying imported wood products that they won't be inadvertently supporting illegal logging and the destruction of tropical rainforests in the Asia-Pacific region," Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Josh Meadows said in a statement.

Forests campaigner with Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Reece Turner, said illegal logging often involved land theft and trashing of national parks, while breeding corruption and human rights abuses.

"It's a huge challenge to countries in our region including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia," Mr Turner said.

Australian Greens leader Christine Milne said the bill was a "small step" despite its weakness.

But she said the government's failure to support Greens amendments to strengthen the legislation was "deeply disappointing".

Opposition senator Richard Colbeck said the coalition did not support the bill without some "sensible modifications".

"We don't want to provide a blunt instrument for rogue environmental groups to attack legitimate businesses," he said.

The Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill 2012 now awaits royal assent.

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