Become a FSC Australia Member

Benefits of Membership

• Become part of an organisation committed to the development of environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests in Australia.
• Contribute to the growth of an Australian market-driven system of responsible forestry based on the FSC’s 10 Principles of responsible forest management.
• Be part of the FSC Australia governance structure, and have a say in the future development and growth of the FSC system in Australia.
• Enhance your access to the growing domestic and international market in responsible wood products and products sourced from FSC certified Australian Forests.
• Receive discounted admission to FSC-run events.
• Receive regular updates on events and developments in the FSC system in Australia and overseas.
• Use of the FSC trademarks, once approved, at no additional cost.

Joining

FSC Australia has specific criteria and documentation requirements for different categories of membership. Please read the following guidelines to ensure you satisfy the criteria for the relevant category before completing an application.

To apply, please complete the generic membership application form downloadable MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM and attach the additional documentation required for the category of membership under which you are applying. Additional documents are located here: MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION GUIDELINES

If you have any questions regarding the application process please contact the FSC Australia office.

Individual or Organisational Membership?

First you need to decide whether to apply for an organisational or individual membership.  The requirements and application procedure vary depending on the type of membership you choose.

For a greater voice and influence, we encourage you to pursue organisational membership. As an organisational member you represent a larger number of people – therefore your vote in FSC elections weighs more. The votes of all individual members in each chamber are weighted so that they only represent a maximum of 10% of the total vote of the chamber, while the votes of all member organisations make up the other 90%.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for membership you must have demonstrated active commitment to implementing or promoting the FSC Principles and Criteria for responsible forest management. How you may have done this depends on the nature of your interest in forests and so for the purposes of assessing eligibility there are different categories of membership to which specific criteria apply. For example, forest managers are required to be FSC certified or actively seeking certification.

To assess whether you satisfy these criteria, the Board requires specific documentation along with your application form. At the rear of these guidelines are the criteria for each category of membership, and its documentation requirements. You can use this guide as a checklist in preparing your application.

Proposer and Seconder

Your application for membership must be proposed and seconded by existing members of FSC Australia. There is space on the application form to name the proposer and seconder, however if you do not know any current members willing to support your application, you may leave this section blank.

Applications are assessed by a sub-committee of the Board, who provide a recommendation to the Board as to whether your application should be accepted. Members of the sub-committee may nominate and second your application if it is to be recommended for acceptance.

FSC Sectoral Chambers

Central to the way FSC operates is the recognition of different sectoral interests in forests – social, environmental and economic. The organisation’s constitution ensures that these interests have an equal say on policy issues decided at General Assemblies and by the Board of Directors.

People with different interests are organised in the FSC system through sectoral chambers. Decision making is, wherever possible, by consensus. These processes ensure that no one sectoral interest controls FSC and that the system maintains its independence and credibility while finding solutions to conflict over forest issues.

The concept of Sectoral Chambers is integral to the FSC. Prospective members should consider which chamber best reflects their role in dialogue regarding forest issues.

There are three chambers into which membership is divided:

1. The Economic Chamber;
2. The Environmental Chamber; and
3. The Social Chamber.

The Economic Chamber

Membership of the Economic Chamber is open to persons, companies and organisations who:

1. Principally have a commercial interest in forests, the production of forest products or the activities of FSC including:
   • forest management and forest product companies;
   • certification bodies;
   • industry association (whether for profit or not-for-profit);
   • wholesalers, retailers, traders, end-user and consulting companies;
   • academics and researchers with a commercial interest in forests;
   • employees, consultants and representatives of the above, and;
2. have demonstrated active commitment to implementing or promoting the FSC Principles and Criteria for responsible forest management.

The Environmental Chamber

Membership of the Environmental Chamber is open to persons, companies and organisations who:

1. Principally have an environmental interest in forests, the production of forest products or the activities of FSC including:
   • not-for-profit, non-government environmental organisations whose principal purpose is protection, preservation or conservation of the natural environment;
   • not-for-profit, non-government organisations whose principal interest is to promote or represent activities (such as bird watching or bush walking) and whose principal interest in FSC is the protection, preservation or conservation of the natural environment;
   • academics and researchers whose primary interest is the protection, preservation or conservation of the natural environment;
   • employees, consultants and representatives of the above; and
2. have demonstrated active commitment to implementing or promoting the FSC Principles and Criteria for responsible forest management.

The Social Chamber

Membership of the Social Chamber is open to persons, companies and organisations who

1. Principally have a social or community interest in forests, the production of forest products or the activities of FSC including:
   • not-for-profit, non-government organisations of forest community organisations or community forest organisations;
   • organisations of indigenous people;
   • trade unions and other organisations representing forest workers, workers fabricating or producing forest products or using forest products;
   • other not for profit, non-government organisations whose principal interest is the social benefits of forests;
   • academics and researchers with a social interest in forests, the production or sale of forest products or FSC;
   • employees, consultants and representatives of the above, and;
2. have demonstrated active commitment to implementing or promoting the FSC Principles and Criteria for responsible forest management.

Prospective members who are not certain as to which chamber they should join will be allocated to a chamber by the Board of Directors.

Liability of Members

FSC Australia is a company limited by guarantee. The liabilities of members are limited in accordance with law and the terms of the Constitution.

FSC Australia Fees

The following fee structure will apply to members of FSC Australia. Fees are payable within 60 days of an Application for Membership being accepted.  

Entrance fee (paid once)

Annual subscription fee

Organisation Size Definitions

• Small not for profit Organisation = annual turnover <$2.5 million
• Medium not for profit Organisation = annual turnover $2.5 million - $5 million
• Large not for profit Organisation = annual turnover >$5 million
• Micro Company = annual turnover <$750 000
• Small Company = annual turnover $750 000 - $2.5 million
• Medium Company = annual turnover $2.5 million - $10 million
• Large Company = annual turnover $10 million - $50 million
• Very Large Company = annual turnover >$50 million 

(Fees current at July 2008) 

Membership Application

To download more information and the membership application form as a Word file then please find attached:

APPLICATION FORM: FSC AUSTRALIA MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION GUIDELINES