Tuesday, 30 May 2023

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:46): (160) My question is for the Minister for Agriculture. While the announcement to exit native forest logging has been welcomed by many across the state who have long campaigned to end native forest logging, communities have raised concerns with us about VicForests being allowed to continue forest management and firebreak work. We support forest contractors being redeployed to do important fire and forest management work and forest regeneration. However, VicForests has a record of destroying a large amount of forest and using the wood for commercial gain under the guise of salvage logging, fire prevention or storm debris clean-up. Is it the government’s intention for VicForests to continue to lead on this forest management work or a different agency or organisation?

Gayle Tierney: President, I seek direction from you. I think the member has confused agencies somewhat. From my perspective, it seems that it would be better directed to the Minister for Environment.

The PRESIDENT: Dr Mansfield, are you happy to direct your question to the Minister for Environment?

Sarah MANSFIELD: Yes.

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Minister for Environment) (12:47): I thank the member for her question. The reason why this issue is being redirected to me is that bushfire prevention and bushfire preparedness have always sat within FFMVic, in DEECA, and sit within my portfolio responsibilities. I can confirm to the house that those arrangements will not change in terms of the responsible division within DEECA that takes care of that bushfire management work. We are always guided by the absolute expert advice that we receive from the chief fire officer and from his team in relation to how we prepare communities that are in and around forests for bushfire.

I can also indicate that in terms of forest contractors, I really want to acknowledge the important work they have always done in protecting communities from bushfire. Of course who could forget the role that they all played in the devastating bushfires during 2019–20. They will continue to play a critical role, and I can indicate that my department will be working closely with those forest contractors and their employees to make sure that we maintain the important skills and expertise and the heavy equipment and specialised equipment that they will bring with them. That is work that we will be continuing over the next few months to ensure that communities have the benefit of their expertise and their skills into the future.

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (12:49): I will direct the supplementary also to the Minister for Environment. How will the government ensure that forest management into the future does not become de facto logging and forest destruction under the name of storm clean-up or fire prevention?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Minister for Environment) (12:49): I think that is actually a misrepresentation of the important work that my department does not only in respect of preparing for devastating bushfires but also in the aftermath of significant emergency events like the storms of 2021 and the recent floods, where a number of different agencies, including VicForests, including FFMVic and including the amazing people within Minister Symes’s portfolio in the SES and the CFA, have all actually chipped in to make sure that communities are supported. I do not accept the characterisation that this is anything like logging by stealth. There is going to be an ongoing need to manage that land appropriately, and that will include emergency situations as well as ongoing, everyday land management.