Eastern Victoria Region
Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:55): (762) My constituency question is for the Minister for Agriculture. In June this government will disband VicForests, and highly competent and loyal VicForests staff in my Eastern Victoria electorate will be left to find new employment if they cannot transition to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. On their way out the door my constituents are again being abandoned by this Labor government as it fails to defend staff from wilderness groups who make unsubstantiated, false and malicious claims. With a 96 per cent compliance finding from an independent audit, no matter how high the bar, qualified scientists and staff have completed comprehensive surveys and biodiversity assessments prior to the commencement of any timber harvesting. Minister, will you confirm and endorse my VicForests constituents for their professionalism, integrity and application, and publicly acknowledge their service to biodiversity, conservation, forest health and sustainably managed industry in their VicForests capacity?