Thursday, 4 December 2025

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (10:03): I had the honour yesterday of launching a book by the name of Our Mismanaged Forests. The dedicated people who contributed to this book provided insight, understanding, wisdom and decades of experience that this government needs to listen to and act upon. They were 94-year-old John Mulligan from Gippsland; David Packham, a noted bushfire scientist; Vic Jurskis, a retired forester; John Cameron, a forestry and business consultant; Ian Caine, a beekeeper; Chris Commins from the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association; Maurie Killeen, a former sawmiller; John Andrews from the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association; Roger Underwood, a former Western Australian forester; Graeme Brownrigg, a CFA volunteer from Sarsfield brigade; Phil Cheney, a bushfire behavioural scientist; and Rod Incoll, a former chief fire officer. I want to thank them all for compiling this book. They have asked me to present this to members of Parliament, which I am more than happy to do. Members in this chamber will be receiving a copy. They write earnestly, they write with understanding, they write with compassion and they write with wisdom. I ask members to not just give it a cursory glance but read and reflect.