Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (18:51): (2555) My matter this evening is for the Minister for Environment, and I am glad to see that he is at the table because he will be able to listen to this concern that one of my constituents in far East Gippsland has in relation to Crown land liability and government accountability, two very important issues. I raise this matter in relation to a claim that was denied by the VMIA, the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority. A tree from a Crown land firebreak fell and damaged critical infrastructure at an export-registered business in my electorate in Mallacoota, a fantastic business that was also very hard hit by the bushfires some five or six years ago. After a 10-week review, the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority denied the claim, leaving the business to carry the full weight. It came from Crown land over the fence and damaged the infrastructure. This was despite acknowledging that the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action did owe a duty of care, the risk was known and there was no documented evidence of any inspection prior to the failure, only some verbal advice. This raises certainly some broader questions around this. It is not a single incident. We heard this during the fires as well. It calls into question how DEECA assesses and manages hazard trees on Crown land adjoining private assets, whether risk assessments are being properly documented or relied on, the consistency of vegetation and firebreak management practices that this government holds and the accountability framework when damage originates from Crown land. Let me be clear, and we heard it very much in the bushfire inquiry: this government does not act as a good neighbour. It expects the private landholders to be the good neighbour but does not pay them the courtesy, and the impost is now being borne by this very important business in my region.
There is one standard for private landholders, strict compliance, but not for this government. The Nationals certainly believe that the state must meet the same standards it enforces right now, but it does not. I ask the minister to review the case as a matter of urgency, audit DEECA’s tree hazard management and risk practices across Crown land firebreaks and outline what in the next five months it will do in terms of accountability when damage originates from the public land. We do have some amazing people down there who do this work; they are either ex-VicForests fire contractors who are now called FFM, Forest Fire Management Victoria, contractors or plant panel contractors who are more than willing and capable to do the work. When that work is not done, because the government has misjudged it, surely the government should hold the responsibility and pay for the damages.