SFM is a leading provider of independent certified forest management and forest consulting across Australia.

Certification is increasingly becoming an important facet of forest management within Australia.  SFM has developed its management systems to enable adaption to the needs of the forest industry and the broader community. SFM’s staff has extensive experience in the systems required to undertake sustainable management of forest resources, through our Environmental Management Systems, both Responsible Wood (formerly AFS) and Forest Stewardship Council® group certification systems and Safety Management Systems. SFM is used to dealing with complex environments and can assist with large and small proposals.

Forest CertifIcation

Within Australia there are two internationally recognised forestry standards, the Responsible Wood - AS4708 endorsed under the internationally-based Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC) and the Forest Stewardship Council®.

SFM offers landowners and resource owners flexible forest certification options. SFM's Group Scheme entails bringing together multiple eligible forest areas with different owners under SFM as a single, certified forest manager.

SFM manages groups schemes for Responsible Wood (PEFC) and FSC®. As a member of the SFM group scheme SFM offers you unequivocal market access and peace of mind that your forests are being managed by world best practices.

SFM operates a Group Scheme under the FSC system, in which individual landowners may join the Group and gain the benefits of certification, while committing to the Principles and Criteria. SFM holds the certificate and acts as the Group Manager, undertaking forest management responsibilities. 

Environmental Management System

The SFM Environmental Management system (EMS) provides the backbone to allowing SFM to achieve our dual forest certifications. The system provides a methodical approach to planning, implementing and reviewing the organisation's environmental impact on the environment through:

• identify legislative requirements;
• identify potential environmental risks;
• manage environmental impacts.

The EMS enables us to identify the aspects of our business that have an impact on the environment, establish the risk associated with the activities and identify the activities with the greatest potential impact.

Operating procedures have been established to comply with the principals and criteria of our forest certification and our regular internal audits and checks ensure activities are carried out in accordance with our policies, objectives and legal obligations.

Safety Management System

Safety is paramount in all of SFM’s operations and the company has developed a comprehensive Safety Management System.  As managers of forest operations, SFM has a duty of care to ensure the operations are undertaken in a manner that minimizes workers’ exposure to the risk of injury.

SFM has an audited SMS that complies with AS4801. The SMS complies with all relevant state legislation and ensures forestry best practices by referencing the relevant forestry codes of practice in from the various states.

The structure of the SMS looks at the safety of SFM staff and visitors, and the safety of our sub-contractors.  SFM has internal safety standards and procedures that apply to its staff and visitors such as PPE requirements, call-in procedures and incident reporting mechanisms in the event of an incident.

Our sub-contractors will comply with our safety policies and are required to run their own safety management systems for the operations they control.  SFM will check their SMS for compliance will conduct audits to ensure the SMS is compliant and being used.  SFM will provide sub-contractors with Forest Operation Safety Plans for all operations and an integral part of this is a hazard and risk assessment.

Safety is a shared responsibility and SFM will work actively with sub-contractors to provide better safety outcomes.  SFM passes on relevant information as it becomes available through safety alerts, contractor meetings and regular operational audits.