Australian Sandalwood and The Environment

Due to its historical value to the economy, the sandalwood industry, both in plantations and in natural resource areas, became regulated by the Western Australian government, specifically, The Forest Products Commission (FPC). The overall objective is to conserve sandalwood species in WA, and at the same time, maintain the sandalwood industry through the use of plantation timber.

The FPC and in particular the Arid Forest branch has recently achieved accreditation under ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems. This is an externally audited certification, which is internationally recognised. Regular auditing is undertaken to ensure compliance at all times.

There are approximately 250 000 tonnes of sandalwood distributed throughout Western Australia; of this, some is in the wild, some in plantations, and some in reserves, including Aboriginal heritage sites. The government allows only 2000 tonnes per annum to be harvested, for export and manufacture into sandalwood oil.

Research shows that natural regeneration rates of sandalwood were falling dramatically as a result of the white invasion of Australia and the concomitant introduction initially of the cat, and currently also of other feral animals (goats, foxes etc). This resulted in the destruction of the woylie (small kangaroo like marsupial), which plays a vital role in sandalwood seed distribution and growth. Active replanting programmes, harvesters mimicking the activity of the woylie, have already proven very successful, with regeneration rates increasing dramatically. It is ironic that, if sandalwood were not a cash crop, intervention in conservation and regeneration would not have occurred, it would likely have eventually ceased to exist.