Wednesday, 12 November 2025

 Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (19:00): (1389) My adjournment matter is to the Minister for Environment, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide the promised funding for Budj Bim National Park’s fire recovery. As we brace for another bushfire season, Victoria’s south-west coast, home to some of the most treasured national parks, remains dangerously exposed. Budj Bim National Park, a World Heritage-listed site of immense cultural and ecological value, stands as a damning symbol of government neglect. Earlier this year Budj Bim was devastated by fire, burning over 2200 hectares. The aftermath was horrific. Koalas were left to suffer, inaccessible terrain forced a controversial aerial shooting of koalas and a recovery plan remains completely unfunded. The government dumped 250 annual reports a couple of weeks ago in an attempt to hide their gross mismanagement and wasteful record. One of those reports, the national parks annual report, says that a recovery plan for the major bushfire at Budj Bim World Heritage site ‘has been developed, although was unfunded at the time of writing’. This inaction sends a terrible message to our communities, our conservationists, our wildlife rescuers and the international visitors who travel to experience this unique landscape.

Victoria has just endured its driest season in decades. The bush is a tinderbox. Farmers, park managers and locals are sounding the alarm. The fuel load is immense, and the Allan Labor government’s inaction is not just negligent, it is dangerous. Despite boasting of multimillion-dollar investments, the government has not allocated a single dollar to Budj Bim’s recovery. Tourism is already suffering, visitors are wary, operators are frustrated and communities are left wondering if their safety and prosperity matter to this government at all. I recently met with the timber industry, leaders who warned of the economic threat that bushfire poses to Victoria’s plantation sector and wood supply, which are critical to our housing industry and regional jobs. We can act to protect these assets, but it requires real leadership, not political convenience spending.

Meanwhile firefighters’ infrastructure is crumbling, much of the equipment is outdated and many Forest Fire Management Victoria vehicles are offline. The CFA is pleading for upgrades, and while AI-enabled fire detection technology exists, the government refuses to invest. We are relying on obsolete systems while frontline communities are left vulnerable. Victoria has failed to meet even a third of the planned burn targets recommended by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. The Allan Labor government has obviously not learned from Black Saturday, when 173 lives and over 1 million animals were lost. Fire mitigation and prevention is vital. This is not a bureaucratic oversight, it is a failure of leadership – a failure that threatens lives, livelihoods and our natural heritage.