Module 5 - VicForests

DSE Comments on the Draft Forest Audit Program Report 25/02/11
Comment
Ref
Page Section/
Fig/Table
Specific comments
1 8 3.3 Line 1 and 2, the master coupe list didn’t intend to
represent all coupes. Explain the methodology.
Auditors consideration
On further discussion with DSE it was clarified that this
comments relates to the exclusion of firewood coupes.
The text has been changed to:
"The Department compiled and provided to the Auditor a
Master Coupe List of 379 coupes , intended to represent
all coupes that underwent harvesting during the 2008-09
financial year (excluding firewood coupes) ."
2 25 4.2.4 On page 25 you note that a non-compliance has
occurred where soil was pushed into a buffer, however
the soil was only pushed into the buffer marked by VF
The Auditor considers that there must be no ambiguity about
the way that coupe boundaries are managed in terms of
which tape lines can be crossed and which can not.
and but was still outside of the prescribe width. Therefore Assessment of breached taped boundaries as noncompliances
is consistent with the way that assessments
this should not be a non-compliance as it is compliant
with the Code. All it is non-compliant with is VF’s buffer, have been made in past EPA audits that have been limited
and they are likely to have made it wider than the to Code compliance. However, the Auditor accepts that
prescribed length to avoid this occurring.
crossing of taped boundaries is technically not a noncompliance
with Code or Management Procedure
requirements if the required buffer remains intact.
Therefore, this non-compliance has been removed and text
added that the Auditor considers the culture and practice of
accepting that taped boundaries may be crossed carries a
high risk of leading to a non-compliance.
3 43 5.1 First sentence, outline what the methods for selection
were
Changed to exclude domestic firewood coupes