Progress Report 2007-2008 - Department of Environment and ...

Forests NSW internal compliance program
Summary of the Forests NSW internal compliance program
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Forestry operations carried out in State forests and on other Crown timber lands are governed by the
terms and conditions of IFOAs and Forests NSW internal requirements (such as codes of practice) and
occupational health and safety requirements. To ensure compliance, Forests NSW regularly monitors
internal compliance. Any non-compliance requires corrective action to minimise any future reoccurrence.
The Forests NSW internal audit system consists of a four-tiered approach:
Tier 1 monitoring: on-site monitoring by the supervising forest officer, to ensure compliance with
operational conditions.
Tier 2 monitoring: on-site checking of Tier 1 by the supervising forest officer’s supervisor to
ensure correct application of standards.
Tier 3 audits: independent audits of Tiers 1 and Tier 2 by regional staff not directly involved in the
operation, and/or independent audits by the EMS Audit team from Forests NSW.
Tier 4 audits: independent audits by the Management Audit and Review Branch of Forests NSW.
All operations are covered by the audit procedure, with risk assessments determining the focus of
Tier 1 and Tier 2 monitoring and of the Tier 3 and Tier 4 audits.
O utcomes of the Forests NSW internal compliance program
During 2007–2008, Forests NSW staff filled out 2 683 compliance sheets under the four-tier audit
system across all regions. Among the 230 000 or more potential compliance issues identified and
assessed under Tier one audits, 610 incidents of non-compliance were identified.
The incidents across all regions represent a 25% decrease in non-compliance incidents when
compared with the 2006–2007 figures (see Figure 3-1A). The number of incidents fell in the LNE,
Southern, and particularly Eden, regions during the reporting period, while an increase was recorded
in UNE.
Compliance checks were carried out for soil and water quality, flora and fauna, fish habitat and
passage, and other issues such as safety. Non-compliance was relatively evenly spread across soil
and water quality (48%), flora and fauna (34%) and other issues such as safety (29%).
DPI–Fisheries did not provide information for the Annual Implementation Report 2007–2008, and no
issues were submitted by DPI in relation to fish habitat and passage in any region.
NSW FOREST AGREEMENTS AND INTEGRATED FORESTRY OPERATIONS APPROVALS