Eastern Victoria Region
Ms BATH (Eastern Victoria) (14:00): (1762) My constituency question is for the Minister for Agriculture, and it relates to my constituent Jim Greenwood, who is highly frustrated and distressed. Contracted to salvage timber in the Wombat State Forest—and this timber was blown over last year in June in the storms—he has been thwarted for the last three weeks because of illegal activists. What should have been a win for the environment, for traditional owners Dja Dja Wurrung and for Jim and harvesters like him has been hampered by protestors. In partnership with VicForests Dja Dja Wurrung have commissioned Jim to collect the fallen timber and, clearly, to restore country for Dja Dja Wurrung. Now, what the Andrews government is doing is not facilitating this, and I ask the minister: will you step in and ensure that protesters are evicted and charged once and for all so that Dja Dja Wurrung country can be restored and Jim and his crew can get back to work?