Wednesday, 12 November 2025

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (23:35): (2095) The minister I seek an action from is the Minister for Outdoor Recreation, and the action I seek is for that minister to disclose the full cost to taxpayers of the little angler kit program announced on Sunday 19 October. Little anglers is a taxpayer-funded gimmick that is fishing for votes, not a genuine effort to increase participation in outdoor recreation. These kits are funded through fishing licence revenue, yet this government is not being transparent about the costs or motive. Under Labor, fishing licence fees have continued to rise. A one-year licence has increased by $16.50 since 2014. A three-year licence has increased by $45. Three-year licences in Victoria cost $150 compared to $85 in New South Wales, and they are free in Queensland. Meanwhile licence numbers in Victoria are declining. If the government really wanted people to take up fishing, it would reduce these fees or cap them at the very least.

I love fishing. I love fish. It is family friendly, it is inclusive and it is relaxing. But what I dislike intensely is waste, and this government is hooked on waste. In Victoria a parent accompanying a child must hold a valid fishing licence. By handing out 82,500 kits – each containing a rod, a reel, a tackle box, a glossy brochure and a big carry bag with a big Vic government logo on the side of it – the government is creating a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign in the guise of outdoor recreation activities. If these kits cost anywhere between $60 to $100 each, this program costs somewhere between $2 million and $3 million, generating over $12 million in licence revenue if parents join up and comply.

This is your second cast of the program, Minister; the first cast had no evaluation, no costing and no transparency. We know it did not increase fishing licence uptake. Many of the kits – and I went on Facebook and Gumtree the other day – can be sold. People are on-selling them for somewhere around the $30 mark. If affordability drives participation, why is Victoria the most expensive state to get a fishing licence? This government needs to reel in its spending, recast its priorities and get hooked on fiscal responsibility. Stop fishing for headlines and start delivering for all Victorians. Minister, disclose the total cost of the program, commission a review of its effectiveness and explain why Victoria continues to slug anglers with high fees while pretending this is all about participation.