Australian Paper hopes stakeholder review will resolve environmental image crisis

The paper manufacturer said it would engage with the Wilderness Society and other environmental NGOs as well as customers, unions and government bodies, such as VicForests and the Department of Sustainability and the Environment, to "examine all fibre supply options, with a focus on additional plantation fibre".

The company currently gets almost 60% of its fibre from plantations, with the rest drawn from recycled pulp and VicForests, which is the source under fire from the Wilderness Society.

The green group has claimed that logging by VicForests in the central highlands region is driving the Leadbeater's Possum towards extinction.

The Wilderness Society is demanding Australian Paper "rapidly exit native forests woodchipping". It has recommended the paper maker look at alternative plantation supplies in the 'green triangle' in Western Victoria.

Australian Paper chief executive Jim Henneberry said the company was considering this as part of the project. "An important part of the review process involves looking at all the plantation options in detail, including plantation wood supplies in Gippsland and in Western Victoria.

"The latter resource is more than 500 kilometres from our mill and we have commissioned a detailed study of this option."

Martin Rodger, Australian Paper's general manager of marketing, said that determining whether the company could withdraw from native forestry was part of the review, with findings due to be announced in August.

"I'd rather not comment until we get the review completed. We are trying to investigate some of their [the Wilderness Society's] comments about there being an abundance of plantation timber available, because it has to be commercially viable," said Rodger.

"We are hoping the August review does find some common ground."

The Wilderness Society responded to news of the stakeholder review "with disbelief" and "completely rejected claims that Australian Paper’s operations are sustainable".

The green group started its campaign over Reflex in January.