Australia’s largest public transport project awarded project certification

SYDNEY - Metro station canopies and multi-story parking façades recently completed as part of the Sydney Metro Northwest project have been constructed with 100% responsibly sourced timber, according to certification body SCS Global Services (SCS).

The wood used at seven stations has been certified by SCS under Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Responsible Wood (RW) Chain of Custody Project Standards, and one additional station has been certified with a Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Partial Project Certificate.

Additionally, the timber used on four multi-story parking structures, with space for more than 4,000 vehicles, has also been certified as responsibly sourced under the PEFC and RW Project Standards.

The Sydney Metro Northwest project is the first project of its kind to earn a responsible timber project certification. Transit operations commenced within the system on May 26, 2019.

The principal contractors, John Holland and CPB Contractors as part of the Northwest Rapid Transit Consortium’s Infrastructure Joint Venture, sourced timber from FSC and Responsible Wood certified forests in New South Wales. They also tracked the material through the primary saw mills and timber wholesalers to the fabricators and installers of the timber batten ceilings and façades: Brighton Ceilings Pty Ltd and Foxville Projects Group (NSW) Pty Ltd.

SCS Global Services conducted the certification assessments under the PEFC/RW and FSC standards. Independent, third-party certification ensures that timber comes from responsibly managed forests, and that transparency has been maintained throughout the supply chain. Since the first FSC project in Australia in 2010, SCS has certified all FSC and or PEFC/RW projects in Australia.

John Holland Sustainability Manager Thirukumaran Jallendran said - “The Sydney Metro Northwest project is a milestone for Australia, and we are proud that it reflects the country’s responsible sourcing goals. It was a complex undertaking, and it is very rewarding to see it completed. SCS helped ease the certification process and enabled us to be the first to achieve a project certification of this magnitude. We hope to set the precedent that project certification is a significant and worthwhile endeavor for other Australian projects.”

SCS Global Services Lead Auditor Nick Capobianco said - “Projects of this scale and profile are key to driving change in supply chains and educating stakeholders, suppliers and the general public about sourcing responsible forest products. Third-party certification was essential for this large-scale project to meet Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia rating tool requirements as it enabled Sydney Metro to demonstrate responsibly sourced timber with a backed guarantee from SCS’ audits. SCS conducted multiple assessments over the course of the project to confirm only responsibly sourced timber was purchased and used on the project. SCS congratulates John Holland, CPB Contractors, and Sydney Metro on their successful project certifications, and we are proud to have this public project exemplify the conscientious use of our forests.”

Responsible Wood CEO Simon Dorries said - “Responsible Wood, the Australian Governing Body for PEFC, congratulates NSW Transport and the Northwest Rapid Transit Consortium’s Infrastructure Joint Venture (NRT Infrastructure JV) for their commitment to achieve project certification. When it comes to the building and construction industry, project certification represents the high watermark for forest certification. To achieve PEFC and Responsible Wood project certification, and to be the pioneer in the Australian marketplace, for such a large and complex project is a testament to the commitment by NSW Transport and NRT Infrastructure JV to support responsible forestry.”

Forest Stewardship Council Australia CEO Sara Gipton said - “FSC Australia congratulates the Sydney Metro Northwest Project for demonstrating the use of responsibly sourced timber through FSC partial project certification. By choosing FSC certified timber Sydney Metro Northwest are upholding the highest standard for forest certification and helping to ensure healthy forests, safe, decent jobs, and robust engagement with local communities and Indigenous Peoples. 

With the release of the Australian FSC Forest Stewardship Standard in 2018, we look forward to working with domestic forest managers to increase the supply of FSC certified timber so that projects seeking Australian FSC timber certified can achieve FSC Project Certification.”