Sustainable Timber - Aceh bound

On 14 November an MOU was signed between BRR, the Indonesian Government Agency responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of Aceh and Nias after the December 2004 tsunami, and the Australian Sawmiller's Consortium to facilitate the processing of donated timber by international NGOs involved in housing and reconstruction projects in Aceh.

The Australian Sawmiller's Consortium, a consortium of 6 major Australian companies, Associated Kiln Driers Pty Ltd, Auspine Limited, Carter Holt Harvey Wood Products Australia Pty Ltd, Hyne and Son Pty Ltd, Integrated Forest Products Pty Ltd and Weyerhaeuser Australia Pty Ltd, has taken the lead to offer an integrated solution for timber to international NGOs based in Aceh and Nias.

Together these 6 Australian companies represent 75% of Australia's total sawmilling capacity of environmentally sustainable timber.

Present at the signing ceremony were WWF representatives based in Aceh, including Mr. Ralph Ashton.
Mr. Ashton said that the signing of the MOU with BRR was a major step forward in assisting NGOs that wished to donate sustainable timber for housing and reconstruction and confirmed that all ASC sourced timber donated by NGOs would be checked by WWF to confirm its environmental sustainability. “The private sector has worked hard with WWF and BRR to deliver a practical solution to the timber bottleneck in Aceh- now it's up to agencies building houses to step forward and take advantage of it."

ASC's representative Mr. Gerret Springer said: “We hope that we can encourage through the partnership with NGOs and other key players to take advantage of the real long term benefits of environmentally friendly and sustainably managed timber resources of Indonesia's immediate southern neighbour, Australia."

ASC also welcomed the efforts by WWF to promote the global use of an environmentally friendly and sustainable solution.

BRR COO and Representative, Mr Eddy Purwanto said that he hoped the initiative to support donated timber by major NGOs would assist to speed up the construction process, given the increasing cost and demand for high quality building materials in Aceh and Nias.

Further information:
Elizabeth O’Neill (Counsellor Public Affairs), hp. 0811 194 144