Revealed: Fisheries and game authorities to merge amid major job cuts
Victoria's peak fisheries and game management bodies face merger amid sweeping job cuts in response to the Silver Review. See the details.
The Allan government is set to establish a new peak Outdoor Recreation Victoria agency, by merging the Victorian Fisheries and Game Management Authorities.
The merger was announced as part of the government’s cost-cutting review, overseen by former bureaucrat and banking executive Helen Silver, which aims to cut 1000 public service jobs to save about $4bn over the next four years.
The Victorian division of Sporting Shooters Association of Australia welcomed the merger and called on the government to also remove legislative barriers to the promotion of hunting, as part of the move.
“If Outdoor Recreation Victoria is to genuinely advance the interests of outdoor recreation, then hunting promotion must form part of its functions,” an SSAVic spokesman said.
“The potential benefits for regional Victoria, in particular, are extraordinary – but they can only be realised if the new authority is empowered to support growth, education and participation.”
The government has also decided to abolish the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, given much of its work has been duplicated in recent years by the government Eminent Panel for Community Engagement that has led the debate on conservation of the state’s forests.
Recreational hunters said they welcomed the abolition of VEAC, arguing it was biased and repeatedly called for state forests to be locked up, rather than listen to community feedback on maintaining access.
Opposition public land spokeswoman Melina Bath said she was not surprised that VEAC would go, given the government had the eminent panel, a conservation regulator and various taskforces in place.
“When has VEAC done anything other than recommend locking up more land,” Ms Bath said.
Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos is yet to comment on the issue of the formation of the new peak outdoor agency.
Former VFA chief investigator Murray Donaldson has previously stated there were efficiencies in cross-authorising and training game officers to also undertake fisheries compliance and visa-versa.
He said fisheries officers had been called on in the past to help out during duck season.
The government has also decided to merge Dairy Food Safety Victoria with PrimeSafe and the Department of Health’s licensing and food safety division to form a new Food Safety Regulator.
The move has angered dairy farmers, who say DFSV was financially self-sufficient and the merger put at risk the skills of its specialist staff and its $7m in reserves.
