Thursday, 20 March 2025

Western Victoria Region

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (12:42): (1483) My question is for the Minister for Outdoor Recreation, and it concerns the gutting of the Victorian Fisheries Authority, which will close five fishery stations, including Queenscliff in my electorate. This savage cost cutting has been disguised as moving from enforcement to education-focused roles. Queenscliff and other stations will be shut, replaced by three community hubs. It is a nonsense. As my constituent David Burgess, a 47-year-old VFA veteran, says:

If you have no-one out there you can have all the rules you like … it doesn’t work.

Once word gets out you can do what you like in the bays, it will be a free-for-all with illegal fishing and the illegal sale of recreationally caught fish. These new engagement staff will be toothless – a pamphlet patrol. Minister, since your consultation, VRFish and CPSU have now come out publicly in opposition. Will you commit to a rethink?