Module 5 - VicForests

• Participating in Community Open Days as part of the field component of Module 5,
which will allow community representatives to observe the audit of a coupe and
engage with the audit team during the field inspection.
• Receiving and reviewing the outcomes of the audits undertaken through access to
Audit Reports published by DSE, and any subsequent follow up presentations
delivered to interest groups (as determined by DSE).
Each Community Open Day will comprise the following:
• Pre Site Briefing: to be held at a central location to be determined by DSE, to
inform the participants on: health and safety requirements while on the coupe; the
role of the Auditor; the skills of the audit team; and allocation of community
representatives to an audit team member for the duration of the site visit.
• Site Visit: including travel to the relevant coupe where participants will be able to
observe the audit process and direct questions to their designated audit team
representative; and
• Debrief: to enable the Auditor to provide participants with feedback on coupe
compliance and field observations; and to allow participants to direct any further
questions toward the Auditor and/or audit team.
Participants may be required to sign a record of attendance at the commencement
and end of the Open Day. DSE will coordinate health and safety issues for community
members who attend the open day.
DSE will determine the location and attendance limits for each Community Open Day
through consideration of health and safety, accessibility of the coupe and the level of
community interest in the area to be audited. The number of Community Open Days
held within any audit period will be at the discretion of DSE and will depend largely on
which FMAs are included in the audit, the availability of resources and the harvesting
lifecycle stage being audited. Community representatives will not be able to visit
‘active’ harvesting coupes for health and safety reasons.
DSE will select community representatives on a first-come, first-served basis, after
making information available about the timing and location of such Community Open
Days on the Department’s website and any direct mailing made to stakeholders who
have registered an interest in such events.
FOREST AUDIT PROGRAM – MODULE 2 AUDIT PROCESS PAGE 21