Thursday, 15 May 2025
Members statements
Victorian Fisheries Authority
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Table of contents
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Motions
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Equality
- Mary-Anne THOMAS
- Steve DIMOPOULOS
- Vicki WARD
- Nick STAIKOS
- Paul EDBROOKE
- Michaela SETTLE
- Nina TAYLOR
- Nathan LAMBERT
- Luba GRIGOROVITCH
- John LISTER
- Paul MERCURIO
- Jordan CRUGNALE
- Gary MAAS
- Juliana ADDISON
- Melissa HORNE
- Ben CARROLL
- Daniela DE MARTINO
- Kat THEOPHANOUS
- Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD
- Tim RICHARDSON
- John MULLAHY
- Bronwyn HALFPENNY
- Matt FREGON
- Josh BULL
- Anthony CIANFLONE
- Eden FOSTER
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Motions
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Equality
- Mary-Anne THOMAS
- Steve DIMOPOULOS
- Vicki WARD
- Nick STAIKOS
- Paul EDBROOKE
- Michaela SETTLE
- Nina TAYLOR
- Nathan LAMBERT
- Luba GRIGOROVITCH
- John LISTER
- Paul MERCURIO
- Jordan CRUGNALE
- Gary MAAS
- Juliana ADDISON
- Melissa HORNE
- Ben CARROLL
- Daniela DE MARTINO
- Kat THEOPHANOUS
- Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD
- Tim RICHARDSON
- John MULLAHY
- Bronwyn HALFPENNY
- Matt FREGON
- Josh BULL
- Anthony CIANFLONE
- Eden FOSTER
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Victorian Fisheries Authority
Sam GROTH (Nepean) (09:39): The Allan Labor government’s reckless decision to slash funding to the Victorian Fisheries Authority by a staggering $9.4 million is nothing short of disgraceful. Their irresponsible budget cuts mean a 50 per cent reduction in frontline fisheries officers, devastating fisheries enforcement across Victoria and leaving just 36 officers statewide to monitor our expansive and precious waterways. On the Mornington Peninsula alone, critical stations in Mornington and Queenscliff face closure, stripping local communities of vital enforcement capabilities. Port Phillip and Western Port, the busiest fishing regions in our state, will see patrols decimated, with enforcement staff reduced from 27 to just nine officers. We will lose over 600 years of experience. Such drastic cuts effectively roll out the red carpet for illegal fishing and poaching, threatening sustainability, safety, research and local economies heavily dependent on recreational fishing and tourism. Marine parks, already suffering from over 50 per cent noncompliance in some cases, will be left even more vulnerable, risking irreversible damage to Victoria’s delicate marine ecosystems. Local anglers and the commercial fishing industry, who contribute significantly through licence fees, feel rightly betrayed by this government. The Victorian opposition, in strong support of our fishing communities and environmental protections, has today tabled a petition with over 21,000 Victorians demanding these catastrophic cuts be reversed immediately. The Allan Labor government needs to start listening to Victorians.