Victorian Fisheries Authority Bill 2016

Mr J. BULL (Sunbury) — It is great to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Victorian Fisheries Authority Bill 2016. Just to follow on from the previous member’s comments about having a person on the board with fishing experience, I note that there is nothing in this bill that prevents the minister from appointing someone with such fishing experience. In fact if I go to clause 22(1)(e), I note that it includes a provision for someone with fishing experience to be appointed to the board.

Like so many Victorian families, I was lucky enough to spend a great deal of time growing up fishing with family and friends. It is probably fair to say, though, that I was far better at fishing in my younger days, when I was around 11, than I am now, at 31. I do not think I have the skill I used to, it is fair to say. Fishing really is a wonderful pastime and a great experience. It is a great opportunity for people to come together and for families, especially through summer, to share some really great quality time. It provides great joy for hundreds of thousands of Australians every year, and it is vital, as the previous speaker mentioned, that our fisheries are managed and managed well to ensure their long-term sustainability. I want to take this opportunity to thank the hundreds of hardworking and dedicated fisheries staff right across the state. A family member of mine was with fisheries for a number of years and through the experiences he shared with me I was able to understand his role and the important, dynamic and diverse nature of the job and the challenges faced by fisheries.

Our fisheries generate considerable money for our economy. In this state we have hundreds of thousands of kilometres of coastline, fresh and saltwater rivers, lakes, streams and estuaries. Our fisheries staff play a vital role in ensuring not just their sustainability but their protection, to ensure that for this generation and generations to come these areas are preserved and protected. As I said, fisheries staff do play that vital role in assisting in these areas and in caring for and serving the people of Victoria. It is the intention of this bill to improve governance around fisheries, and I think it is very important, as we have discussed, to have a standalone authority that is responsible inevitably to the minister but that will certainly improve the governance of the way we manage fisheries.

I want to reinforce to all people who partake in fishing in this state — for men, women and children — that they respect and value our fisheries staff and the very important work they do. We can never take for granted the protection of our fisheries. If you were to consider other parts of the world which are not as fortunate as we are in having such great fisheries — often full, I like to think, of fresh, healthy, stocked fish with good water quality and all of the other things that make for good fisheries — I think you see that we in this state have done, certainly up until now, very well.

We know that fishing and its related activities contribute significantly to the Victorian economy and jobs, and the creation of a dedicated, standalone authority for the sustainability, management and support of the fisheries sector is incredibly important. The estimated total value of production for wild catch fisheries in Victoria in the period from 2013–14 was $54.6 million, with a further contribution of $25.4 million for aquaculture.

Fisheries, as I have said, are one of our most treasured areas. It is a great pastime and social activity. We know that Victoria is home to an estimated 750 000 recreational fishers. We want to increase that number through the Target One Million initiative. We want to see more people out and about, spending time with family and friends and getting involved in what is a terrific activity.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority Bill 2016 will deliver on a major election commitment. The standalone authority will go a long way to improving fisheries right across the state. The bill establishes the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) as an independent statutory authority and provides those necessary provisions to ensure a modern, fit-for-purpose authority. The bill includes the usual provisions that underpin a statutory authority’s basic operations. These include things such as the objectives, the functions, the powers and the guiding principles to provide a strategic direction for the VFA and define the scope of operation, guide decision-making and the whole range of important functions that the VFA is responsible for.

The minister may provide written directions to the VFA. These will be published upon the VFA’s formation. The VFA’s objectives provide directions for the board and key stakeholders, and there are so many of those, as we have just heard. There are 750 000 recreational fishers and there are also those within the commercial industry and all the flow-on effects of that, including the side businesses and industries that gain a whole range of economic benefits from these very important areas.

The VFA will be directly accountable for the administrative, licensing, compliance and regulatory functions of Fisheries Victoria. It will develop operational plans, conduct research, provide advice and make recommendations and encourage compliance via education. Education is a very important component of what fisheries do. There is education around bag limits, sizes and not taking more then you are legally allowed to. Fisheries play such an important role in compliance around those operations. We need to make sure that we are resourcing fisheries appropriately to ensure their health and wellbeing. If we do not encourage this, we need to enforce the law to provide for a healthy ecosystem.

This bill defines the roles of both the minister and the secretary, as is the case with other statutory authorities. In addition to the board, the bill will clarify accountabilities of all three parties in relation to Fisheries Victoria. The minister is to appoint the board, including a chairperson and deputy chairperson. The board will consist of no fewer than five and no more than eight directors with the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience that assist the VFA to carry out these important functions and objectives.

If you look at things like the Level Crossing Removal Authority and the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority, you see that this is a government that is intent on and committed to getting things done — —

Ms Thomas — Absolutely!

Mr J. BULL — ‘Absolutely’, says the member for Macedon. This is another example of a bill that sets up a very important authority, one that has the powers and the functions to place fisheries on a very important governance base. We know that upon being appointed the board will employ the CEO in consultation with the minister and the CEO will be the employer of all VFA staff, who will remain Victorian public service staff. That is obviously very similar to the way that other statutory authorities are set up.

Our plan is to increase the number of anglers to 1 million by 2020, as we have already mentioned, as part of Target One Million. With this we want to see increased fish stocks, support for local clubs, improved access to facilities and the removal of netting from Port Phillip Bay as well as the purpose of this bill, which is to establish a statutory authority. The Andrews government wants to grow fishing in Victoria. It is a fantastic form of recreation. It is a great source of fun and pride for many individuals and families alike. We want to take what is a very good industry and make it a better one. I am of the belief that the VFA will help us do this. I think it will be a worthy authority, a very good authority. I want to take the opportunity to very briefly thank the minister and her staff for all the work they have done. I commend the bill to the house.