The Nationals and Liberals have secured significant improvements to the Allan Labor Government’s Outdoor Recreation Victoria legislation, giving Victoria’s hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation communities a stronger voice and greater protection under the new authority.
Shadow Minister for Outdoor Recreation Melina Bath said the successful amendments delivered practical changes that better reflected the people, industries and traditions at the heart of Victoria’s outdoor recreation sector.
“These changes ensure hunters, fishers and outdoor recreation users are recognised, respected and represented in the new authority from day one,” Ms Bath said.
A crucial change secured by The Nationals and Liberals was renaming the authority to Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria, ensuring the sectors are clearly recognised in the organisation’s identity.
“The original name failed to properly acknowledge Victoria’s hundreds of thousands of recreational fishers and hunters. This amendment ensures those communities are front and centre, not treated as an afterthought,” Ms Bath said.
The Nationals and Liberals also secured stronger representation for key stakeholder groups, ensuring hunting and fishing organisations had a voice and valuable input within the new structure.
“Victoria’s hunting and fishing traditions have been built over generations. The organisations that represent those communities deserve a seat at the table and a voice in decisions that affect them.”
The legislation has also been strengthened to require greater practical experience and industry expertise on the new authority’s board.
“Too often governments create boards dominated by bureaucratic and administrative experience while overlooking people with real-world knowledge. We fought to ensure practical experience in hunting, fishing, outdoor recreation and related industries was embedded in the governance of the authority.”
The Nationals and Liberals also secured stronger stakeholder representation on the newly expanded Land and Aquatic Access Panel, ensuring decisions affecting access to public land, waterways and outdoor recreation were informed by those who use them.
“Access to public land and waterways is one of the biggest issues facing outdoor recreation users. These changes will help ensure decisions are informed by stakeholders on the ground, not made behind closed doors.”
Importantly, amendments were also secured to strengthen the position of Victoria’s commercial fishing industry within the legislation.
“The commercial fishing industry is a vital regional employer and food producer. These amendments provide greater certainty and ensure the industry’s role is firmly recognised within the legislation and the future direction of the authority.”
Ms Bath said the outcome demonstrated that stakeholders could have achieved better outcomes despite the government wanting to ignore industry input.
“Labor tried to make it look like they were running a proper consultation process but refused to listen to many of the concerns raised by stakeholders, which meant The Nationals and Liberals had to fight hard to secure meaningful improvements.”
“These amendments deliver stronger recognition, better representation and a more balanced authority that reflects Victoria’s proud hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation traditions.”