THE owner of Australia's best-known brand of paper, Reflex, has fought off environmental groups to gain a one-month extension to its international green certification.

But the price of the one-month extension granted to Reflex's manufacturer, Australian Paper, has been to open deep divisions within the certification system, with international governing body the Forest Stewardship Council attacking Australian Paper's auditor, SmartWood, over the decision.

Reflex owner has a month to get its papers in order. Credit:Bloomberg

While SmartWood, a division of Rainforest Alliance, says it needs more time to consider new information, the FSC says it ''doubts the appropriateness'' of a last-minute request from the auditor for clarification of key definitions in the standard.

At the centre of the dispute is Australian Paper's use of native forest harvested by state-owned logger VicForests, which is under sustained attack by environmental groups over its forestry practices.