Agriculture Victoria staff cuts: Government says 145 jobs to go

Agriculture is the target of major Victorian government job cutbacks, while climate change bureaucrats remain relatively unscathed.

Agriculture Victoria cutbacks will result in the loss of its most experienced researchers. Photo: DANNIKA BONSER

The Victorian government has called on its peak agriculture body to shed 145 of its most senior and experienced staff, while leaving the rest of its bureaucracy relatively unscathed.

The government has called on the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions to shed 250 of its 3662 employees, by offering early retirement packages.

But documents outlining details of the scheme show DJPR wants 145 of those job cutbacks to come from Agriculture Victoria, with another 29 taken out of its Rural and Regional Development division, plus 23 from the Jobs, Innovation and Business Engagement group.

DJPR’s Forestry and Climate Change division and Local Government and Suburban Development division have each been asked to offload two staff.

Just why agriculture has become the main target for job cuts remains a mystery, given the Andrews government has repeatedly stated “Victoria is Australia’s largest producer of food and fibre products, and these make up over half of Victoria’s total product exports”.

Its own analysis show the state’s agricultural sector produces $17.8 billion of food and fibre, which in turn supports a $41.5 billion food processing sector.

Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas’ office said the ERPs were being offered as part of budget savings the Victorian Public Service was asked to find as part of the 2021-22 State Budget.

The Australian Taxation Office only approved the government offering the retirement packages just prior to Christmas, with confirmation issued to staff last week.

“Agriculture Victoria offered a number of staff access to the government’s early retirement scheme, with 100 staff from across the organisation voluntarily accepting the offer,” a spokesman for Ms Thomas said.

Just how many more Agriculture Victoria staff will take up the remaining ERPs is unclear, but the Minister’s office said “staff departures are being staggered to ensure business continuity.”

Nationals leader and opposition agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh said “the fact that Agriculture Victoria has been targetted shows the distain the Andrews government has for regional Victoria and farmers in particular”.

“Obviously the minister has no weight in the government to win anything for farmers in Victoria.”

The ERP deal follows an initial directive from DJPR secretary Simon Phemister late last year to 47 Agriculture Victoria staff that their positions had been identified as “surplus to requirements”, with the soils research team the main target of cutbacks.

Community and Public Sector Union spokesman Julian Kennelly said “we’re bracing for further savings to be found in the upcoming budget”.