S7 Legislation: effects on sustainable practices and environmental impacts (5 marks) · Industrial Technology Timber

S7 · Legislation: effects on sustainable practices and environmental impacts (5 marks)

Fits: 2025 Q16(a) (5). Also 2020 Q16(a) legislative dot point · 174 words · 6 chunks

S7.1 · FederalFederal: the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 makes it an offence to import or process illegally logged timber, and requires importers and processors to carry out due diligence on where timber comes from.S7.2 · Fed effectThis has pushed furniture businesses towards certified timber (FSC or Responsible Wood/PEFC), reducing support for illegal logging and the deforestation and biodiversity loss it causes overseas.S7.3 · StateState: Victoria and Western Australia ended commercial native forest logging from 1 January 2024. This protects habitat and carbon stores, but it forced manufacturers to switch to plantation, imported or recycled timber and caused mill closures and job losses.S7.4 · PollutionPollution control: under the NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, sawmills, board plants and finishing operations may need EPA licences and must control dust, noise, solvent emissions and waste. This drives investment in dust extraction, spray booths and low-VOC finishes.S7.5 · LocalLocal: councils require development approval and environmental impact assessment for new factories.S7.6 · JudgementOverall, legislation has made sustainable sourcing and pollution control compulsory, improving the industry's environmental footprint at the cost of higher compliance costs.

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