Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Petitions

Victorian Fisheries Authority

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:46): I move:

That the petition be taken into consideration.

I rise today to support Legislative Council petition 664, which I had the honour of sponsoring. It was a great honour to sponsor this petition. I would just like to thank the many people who are in the gallery, the visitors who have come here at very short notice to listen to this debate. With over 20,000 signatures, this petition calls on the Victorian government to halt the destructive changes within the Victorian Fisheries Authority. At stake are the livelihoods of fishing communities, the safety of Victorians and the sustainability of our marine environment. The Allan Labor government is pursuing a reckless gutting of the VFA. These plans slash about half of our enforcement officers, reducing 73 to just 36, while shutting down key stations at Cowes, Mornington, Braeside, Altona and Queenscliff – the busiest in the state, I might add. That is not a restructure, it is an invitation to chaos.

The government assured Victorians that savings under its COVID debt repayment plan would not impact frontline services. Budget papers promised greater efficiency ‘without affecting frontline services’, yet here we stand seeing the wholesale sacking of half the state’s fisheries officers. Even the Auditor-General has flagged concerns that government cannot even define ‘frontline worker’ properly, let alone assess how cuts affect service delivery. This is a breach of trust and a broken promise to every Victorian. Let us be clear: this is happening because the government has run out of money – our money, your money, every Victorian’s money. Instead of prudent management, it is pouring billions into wasteful vanity projects like the $216 billion Suburban Rail Loop while gutting the fisheries program that protects a resource worth billions to our economy and which is priceless to our environment.

The consequences of these cuts are dire. Experts and veterans of the sector are united in their warnings. Former chief investigator Murray Donaldson predicts an explosion of fisheries crime, recalling the out-of-control fish theft of the 1990s. Forty-seven-year veteran David Burgess calls the cuts ‘insane’, warning that without enforcement it will become a free-for-all, with illegal fishing and black market sales leading to health risks and crime infiltration. The abalone trade alone illustrates the danger. A single diver can illegally take 100 kilos – worth $3000 – in a few hours. Without officers on the water, organised crime will not hesitate to move in. Businesses such as Tasmanian Seafoods, who operate in my electorate, have voiced serious concerns about the impact on sustainable operations. And what is the government’s brilliant alternative to enforcement? An educational approach – handing out flyers and hoping people will do the right thing. A pamphlet patrol no less – that is not fisheries management, it is fantasy. Compliance collapses without enforcement, and offences remain high: 58 per cent in intertidal abalone, 56 per cent in marine national parks. Crime is not deterred by brochures. Fisheries officers also play a critical role in marine safety. They conduct almost 12 times as many inspections as Safe Transport Victoria, contributing to a 52 per cent drop in boating- and fishing-related fatal drownings over the last decade. Gutting their capacity will cost lives.

To suggest Victoria Police, already down 800 officers and closing 43 stations, can pick up the slack is fanciful. This government pretends cuts are confined to corporate or back office roles, but every round of so-called savings ricochets onto the frontline. Here it means weaker enforcement, compromised safety, lost revenue and a massive hit to Victoria’s international reputation. It risks the sustainability of our commercial and recreational fisheries and even threatens export accreditation. Enforcement exists for a reason. Without it, laws are meaningless, crime flourishes and lives are put at risk.

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:51): I rise to speak on the petition which has been put before the house today by Mrs McArthur, and I note that we will be supporting the adoption and acceptance in this chamber of the petition which she has brought forward today. It does concern a serious topic in relation to the VFA, the Victorian Fisheries Authority. As has been widely discussed and widely canvassed across media, and indeed by Mrs McArthur’s remarks, there have been some structural changes made to the VFA, which will focus on efficiencies but also allow it to focus on core areas of need.

I do want to get to a few different points, but I will at the outset note that in her remarks, I believe Mrs McArthur made reference to the fact that the Cowes and Mornington stations would be closing. That is not the case, as I understand it. The Cowes and Mornington stations and indeed Queenscliff station will also very much continue to be operating, as indeed will 16 other sites across Victoria. The two affected sites which will be closed are Altona and Braeside. I do want to make sure that when we are discussing what is a serious issue, we are noting things accurately and that Cowes, Mornington and Queenscliff will still be operational under these changes.

These changes will also enable funding within the VFA to continue and add towards the resourcing of the major fishing crime unit, which is an important part of it, an important part of addressing crime where it happens at that larger end. We know that with these sorts of investigations much of the biggest impact that we see from fishing violations, the biggest impact on the state’s ecology is not from a fisher having his licence being out by a couple of days. Of course he should not do that, but that does not have nearly as deleterious an effect on the ecosystem as a major breach by, for example, a corporate fishing operation. That is where the MFCU, with increased resourcing, will be able to focus more on those areas of harm that cause greater damage to the state’s fisheries and to our ecosystem as well.

Indeed, we do know that there are 35 less roles in the VFA as a result of this restructure, and I know that every support is being provided to those affected employees. It is never a good situation to be in, and I certainly acknowledge that. Nevertheless we need to ensure that the VFA is focusing on its core work and what it needs to be doing the most. And there are other aspects which Mrs McArthur did touch on a little bit in terms of whether it is the marine unit or whether it is Safe Transport Victoria and its role in ensuring safety and compliance and other aspects that are not to do with fishing on our waterways, our rivers and our lakes, and in our harbours and bays. But it is an important and a serious thing to be discussing.

We do know that the commercial fisheries in Victoria have changed, with a transition of 700 tonnes less net commercial fishing operating in Port Phillip Bay alone, and that is a significant change. It has had a significant impact on the ecology and environment of that area. And with it, that means that our regulatory resourcing and oversight powers need to be concentrated into the areas where they are focused. With that 700-tonne reduction in Port Phillip Bay itself, that also provides some of the basis for some of these changes to ensure that the operations of the VFA are being conducted in the areas where they are needed most, reflecting the changed reality of what is actually happening out there in the waters.

There are many other things that we could talk about when it comes to supporting recreational fishing in this state, whether it is the restocking of fish in various lakes across Victoria every school holiday. Just in the last school holidays alone in my region, we saw fish restocked at Berwick Springs, at Casey Fields Lake, at Karkarook Lake and at Rowville Lakes. There are many other things that we could talk about in this space, but this is a serious motion as it does affects people’s livelihoods. It is important that when we make these changes, we are doing so in a way that is ensuring not just best support for them, but best value for money for taxpayers.

Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (17:56): The Greens support the petition being tabled today, and I thank the many community members who have added their voices to this important issue. Unfortunately, people’s livelihoods, the government’s institutional environmental expertise and Victoria’s marine life are all being sacrificed by Labor’s current cost-cutting agenda. Over years of employment cuts to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action we have witnessed the blatant disregard this government has for roles in the environmental sector. In fact just last month the government announced plans to cut another 350 jobs in the department. Every job impacted by these cuts translates to a disruption to a person’s livelihood and slowly drains institutional expertise away from where it is needed most. With this in mind, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that this is a difficult time for many people. On behalf of my Greens colleagues, please know that the wellbeing of staff affected is at the forefront of our minds. We must remember that the job cuts within the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) constitute the loss of important employment opportunities across Victoria, especially in regional communities like mine.

In addition to the impact on individuals, these changes pose a significant risk to Victoria’s marine life, because the reality is that by cutting these positions there is a high chance that noncompliant fishing practices will increase. This is deeply concerning. Marine parks already show a 56 per cent. noncompliance rate to rules and limits. Public adherence to regulations on the harvesting of vulnerable marine species such as abalone and giant spider crabs is crucial to safeguarding these species from the impact of overfishing.

But it is not just an environmental issue. It is also important to acknowledge the role of VFA officers in monitoring the use of safety measures by recreational fishers, thus significantly reducing the likelihood of accidents on water. The proposal to establish fisheries engagement hubs, some to be staffed by only one or two employees, is an inadequate replacement for proper enforcement and monitoring of fishing practices, including safety. Fisheries officers are highly effective at deterring illegal practices and are a welcome presence in the communities in which they operate. The Greens ask that the government and the VFA seriously consider the implications of such cuts and that immediate and adequate funding is provided where it is needed to ensure the sustainability of fisheries officers positions into the future. I commend the petition to the house.

Ann-Marie HERMANS (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:59): I appreciate the opportunity to support the Victorian Fisheries Authority workforce changes petition involving the retrenchment of fisheries officers and scientists by the Victorian government’s VFA. This petition was signed by over 20,000 concerned citizens of Victoria and highlights that on Tuesday 20 May 2025 the VFA announced the permanent closure of fishery stations at Braeside and Altona North, effectively leaving no fishery stations at the northern end of Port Phillip Bay. This announcement also revealed a loss of talented and committed scientists and a 44 per cent reduction in full-time employed fisheries officers from 69 to 39 positions, all in pursuit of $9.4 million in government savings. Seriously?

Crucially, this decision was made without seeking or receiving a risk assessment. These cuts to both resources and frontline fishery officers will inevitably compromise the state’s ability to enforce fishing regulations. Regular safety inspections protect our iconic marine life from the risk of criminal activity and ensure the sustainability of Victoria’s immensely valuable commercial and recreational fisheries. The changes by the government are causing significant concerns within the recreational fishing community. Fisheries officers are the frontline defence against illegal and unsustainable activities that threaten the long-term viability of fish stocks. Effective enforcement must be informed by rigorous, independent science to ensure long-term sustainability of Victoria’s marine resources. Up until 2025 fisheries officers played a crucial role in keeping a lid on offences, with the 2023–24 reporting showing VFA officers made contact with 49,818 fishers, of which 10 per cent were found to have committed offences, from possessing undersized fish and exceeding catch limits to selling fish caught recreationally.

The Victorian Recreational Fishing is the government’s peak community advocate body. It has provided the government with evidence that the fishing community’s main concerns and recreational fishing issues are about inadequate legislation and a lack of regulation and how this can lead to higher levels of illegal take. VRFish surveyed about 2054 recreational fishers and prioritised their findings into what the community valued the most. One: the issue of the greatest importance was enforcement and compliance. With the government closing the two stations, one in Braeside and the other in Altona, each having, for example, four or five fisheries, our recreational fishing in Port Phillip Bay is now not being properly regulated, but recreational fishing needs well-resourced fisheries to be sustainable. Two: the need for well-resourced fisheries also relates to the second-greatest concern to the recreational fishers, and this is the significance and importance of good fisheries management. Scientists, as I said, until now used an evidence-based approach to ensure fish stocks were sustainably managed. Now with the government axing the scientists who monitored recreational fisheries, there is no-one properly monitoring the fish stock sustainability or providing good management for recreational fisheries. The community’s willingness to invest in the sustainability of their fisheries is revealed, with 60 per cent of recreational fishers willing to pay an additional $11 to $20 a year on their fishing licences to support enforcement and science initiatives.

In my opinion, filling a fishery department with subjective Labor operatives who are not trained or who, because of their own ambitions or allegiance, are unable to provide genuine, objective, evidence-based clarity on what recreational fisheries require to be sustainable is nonetheless problematic. Many comments expressed concern about the consequences of reduced enforcement, emphasising that without fisheries officers and scientists, illegal fishing and environmental damage are likely to increase. Statistics, community voices and the concerns raised by the petition make one thing very, very clear: this government’s change in direction undermines recreational fishing enforcement and scientific management, placing Victoria’s fisheries and fishing communities at serious risk. I urge the government, along with my colleagues, to review these changes and align their policies with the priorities expressed by over 2000 Victorian anglers by reinstating our fisheries officers and scientists so we can fully support carefully monitored recreational fishing for current and future generations.

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (18:04): I too rise to speak on the petition before us today, and in doing so join in the chorus of more than 20,000 Victorians who have signed the petition calling on the government to reverse its cuts to staffing at the Victorian Fisheries Authority. It is not often that I stand here in unity with my colleagues Mrs McArthur and Mr Bourman, but on this issue we are actually shoulder to shoulder. These signatures represent an unprecedented coalition of conservation and recreational fishing groups, including the Victorian National Parks Association, the Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body and Seafood Industry Victoria. The cut of 44 per cent of all full-time enforcement staff at the fisheries authority is a reduction which the authority describes as an emphasis towards education and engagement. This is no substitute for a credible enforcement regime. Already there is noncompliance at a rate of more than half in marine protected areas. As mentioned in the petition, the permanent station closures at Braeside and Altona North will leave vital areas of Port Phillip Bay without an adequate enforcement presence. When enforcement presence is reduced, illegal fishers and operators can exploit that gap, with immediate and long-term consequences for biodiversity and sustainability. This will increase the risk of overfishing and the illegal harvest of vulnerable species.

These cuts have happened at the same time as significant reductions across other nature protection agencies – agencies which were already understaffed and under-resourced. Parks Victoria, the Office of the Conservation Regulator and now the fisheries authority face an uphill battle in protecting Victoria’s natural environment and our state’s wildlife. Effective, well-resourced fisheries enforcement prevents unnecessary animal suffering by limiting illegal and destructive methods impacting fish and other marine animals. I have spoken in this place many times about the government’s Little Angler program, which has provided free fishing rods to school-aged children across the state but has had an unintended consequence that has caused significant harm to Victoria’s wildlife, particularly birds and flying foxes, due to discarded and cut fishing line in the environment, causing entanglement. Wildlife carers have reported a significant increase in animals coming into care, including in my electorate, with agonising entanglement injuries – more proof of the need for increased monitoring and enforcement rather than the new so-called focus on engagement by the VFA. In the face of this restructuring the government have a responsibility to demonstrate how they intend to continue to protect Victoria’s rich marine biodiversity, and I call on them to do that, while thanking all petition signatories for their dedication and compassion towards Victoria’s marine life.

Moira DEEMING (Western Metropolitan) (18:07): I rise today to support this petition against the government’s reckless decision to gut our state’s fisheries officers and close critical stations. Victorians are sounding the alarm. Just over 20,000 signatures have been collected, which is over 40 times the average petition size. On 20 May the Victorian Fisheries Authority confirmed that it would slash 44 per cent of our fisheries officers, from 69 down to just 39. That is not a saving; it is short-sighted. It risks lives, livelihoods and the sustainability of our marine environment. Having fewer officers means weaker enforcement and more poaching. Abalone poachers tied to organised crime and foreign syndicates make millions every year exploiting our coastline. As reporter Andrew Rule put it, poachers are stripping our reefs bare while a bankrupt state simply surrenders. The irony cannot be lost. As fish stocks are depleted by poaching, legitimate operators are priced out and every day Victorians are forced to pay more for local seafood. This undermines your treasured sustainability targets as well as punishing law-abiding fishers and consumers alike.

Leading conservation and fishing groups Victorian National Parks Association, VRFish, Seafood Industry Victoria and Abalone Council Victoria have united in opposition. Shannon Hurley from the VNPA said:

When conservation groups and fishing interests stand together on an issue, the government should take notice.

Instead the government has just claimed that these cuts will save $9.4 million, but we all know that the fallout is going to cost far more. We remember the broken promises, and we think about the bigger picture. This is not just about fisheries officers, it is about a state sliding into lawlessness. Crime is rising, small businesses are closing, streets are scarred by vandalism and decay, commercial fishing is being wiped out and regional economies are being hollowed out, all while the government rewards itself with a pay rise. The real cost will be far more, and measured in depleted fisheries, higher food prices, lives lost and criminal networks further emboldened. Fish rots from the head, and Victorians can smell the rot from this government’s reckless and ill thought out decisions.

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (18:10): I would like to quote the Shadow Minister for Outdoor Recreation. I know Sam Groth is sitting in the audience at the moment listening very intently, because he is most concerned about this. He said:

The Liberals and Nationals will always stand with our recreational fishing community to protect fish stocks, uphold fair rules, and ensure the long-term health of Victoria’s marine environments.

‘Hear, hear’ to that. He went on to say what has been said multiple times by the Liberals and Nationals on this side of the chamber in relation to why these cuts are happening – that is, these cuts are happening because the Allan government cannot manage money, and Victorians, and in this case the marine environments, are paying the price.

We know these cuts to the fishing officers are just one of many, many cuts. I have been speaking with fantastic people down at Cowes, down at the Newhaven Jetty, at Corinella Jetty and San Remo and particularly the San Remo co-op, which is one of the few co-ops that are still going, doing an amazing job to produce our own seafood, our own fresh local Victorian seafood. What a wonderful activity and outcome and produce – to have something that is caught out in Bass Strait delivered to the jetty at San Remo and then processed, and you can buy it in the shops straightaway or it is sold into markets et cetera. This is really important, and it is really special. We need to protect those species which are caught by our recreational and our commercial fishing operators.

We are concerned about the explosion of poaching. We are concerned about the illegal fishing. We certainly are concerned that this government is reaching into various entities right across the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) to try and find some money, scavenge some money, by cutting services that do not warrant cutting. We know that last year they cut $95 million worth of funding out of Parks Victoria. Parks Victoria rangers are being cut back. The environment is deteriorating. We have got pests and weeds and tracks that are not maintained. The government is not cutting suits in Melbourne; it is cutting boots on the ground. These frontline fisheries officers are just another example of that.

I want to take a moment to talk about the 350 additional jobs that are going to go from DEECA this year, and this includes jobs from FFMV – Forest Fire Management Victoria is on the chopping block – and Ag Victoria, which is part of a larger department. Once upon a time Agriculture Victoria held its own under Peter Walsh in government as the ag minister. It held its own. Now it is in a back room, and this is the disrespect this government is affording the people that provide our clothes and feed us.

When we look at more cuts to the area, we see that Parks Victoria is not maintaining the jetties that recreational people fish off, the jetties that enable people to take their rods, to go fishing, to freely, in a world where we have got a cost-of-living crisis, be able to work with their family, enjoy their family and fish off a pier. If you do not have a boat, that is fine. What is this government doing? It is not maintaining those fishing platforms. It is locking them up, and it is just leaving them to decay. That is not good enough. It is indicative of this particular scenario where we are seeing more and more fisheries officers cut as well.

In conclusion, the Nationals are pleased to align ourselves with Mrs McArthur’s petition. We thank the 21,000 anglers, pro fishing people and concerned conservationists who want to get the balance right in making sure that we have a marine ecosystem that is self-sustaining and that is not overpoached or being attacked by illegal fishing. We believe this is just indicative of a government that cannot manage the budget and is cutting various forms and various services that should not be cut.

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (18:14): I thank my colleagues Mrs Hermans, Mrs Deeming and Ms Bath, my Western Victoria Region colleague Dr Mansfield and my friend, often my foe, Ms Purcell for their endorsement of the petition. I also stand not only with the recreational fishers but with the professional fishers, who need protection from illegal fishing and organised crime. Despite Mr Galea’s attempt to spin the line that there is nothing to see here, these are experts you are doing away with. Your priorities in Labor are totally wrong and totally misguided. Along with the 20,115 Victorians who signed this important petition, I implore the government to abandon this reckless course, reverse these devastating cuts and honour its own commitments to protecting frontline services. The health of our marine environment, the safety of Victorians and the livelihoods of our fishing communities depend on it.

Motion agreed to.