Hansard debates

                      GAME MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY BILL 2013
                                 Second reading

  Mr WALSH (Minister for Agriculture and Food Security) -- I move:
  That this bill be now read a second time.
I  am pleased today  to  introduce legislation that  delivers  on the  Victorian
coalition  government's  commitment   to  improve  the   effectiveness  of  game
management and promote responsibility in game hunting in this state.
Members of the house will recognise that hunting, and in particular recreational
game hunting, is an important part of Victoria's cultural heritage, particularly
in rural and regional Victoria.

Generations of Victorian families have passed down the traditions and methods of

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hunting, often as part of broader experiences of camping and the great outdoors.
Importantly, Victoria's approach to the sustainable use of wildlife populations,
including   recreational   game   hunting,   is  consistent   with  contemporary
conservation  management principles.  It  is also  consistent with international
conservation treaties and conventions.
Today there are more than 43  000 game licence holders in Victoria, and the game
hunting  industry is estimated  to  generate around $100  million of direct  and
indirect economic activity for Victoria annually. This includes jobs  in a range
of industries  and  the flow-on effects  of people travelling to  regional areas
where game hunting is permitted.

Of course there are many more hunters involved in pest management activities  --
contributing  to  the  state's  biosecurity  efforts, and  the  conservation  of
Victoria's wildlife habitats.
I have  been  heartened by the success  of  our wild dog and  fox  bounties. The
response from hunters has been  tremendous, and it illustrates the valuable role
hunters can play in an integrated approach to pest management.
With the growth in the popularity of game hunting, as well as the opportunity to
enhance the contribution of  hunters to game and pest management outcomes, it is
the right time for government  to  provide a clearer strategic direction for the
future.

That is why, in October this year, I announced the development of a hunting  and
game management action plan to support and guide the  long-term  growth  of  the
industry, and improve access to sustainably managed game resources.
Like the  coalition government's timber  industry action plan, which  has driven
significant reform and improved outcomes for Victoria's  native timber industry,
I am committed to ensuring action  is taken to enhance  legislative, regulatory,
institutional and service delivery  outcomes for hunting  and game management in
Victoria.
Of course, this cannot  be achieved by government alone. A partnership  approach
-- across  government agencies, hunting  organisations, and business --  will be
crucial for the success of the action plan.

I  thank all  stakeholders  who participated  in  workshops  during October  and
November  on the  action plan,  led by the Honourable Roger Hallam, chair of the
Victorian Hunting Advisory Committee (HAC).
The HAC will  provide  me  with  a draft of the action  plan  in  early 2014 for
consideration by government.
The second component of  providing a clearer strategic direction for the  future
is the establishment of the Game Management Authority.
You may recall that as part of the 2013-14 state budget the coalition government
announced an additional allocation of $8.2 million over  four years to establish
and  operate a  new Game  Management Authority. This means that a total of $17.6
million will be spent on game management in Victoria over the next four years.

This bill gives effect to that commitment by providing the legislative basis for
a new, independent statutory authority to regulate game hunting and improve game
management outcomes in Victoria -- the Game Management Authority (GMA).
The new GMA will incorporate the functions currently undertaken by Game Victoria
in the Department of Environment and Primary Industries.
But this is not just a machinery-of-government change.
This is about providing transparent and accountable governance to drive improved
performance  -- more effective  compliance and enforcement  of game hunting, and
more collaborative approaches to game management.
I turn now to the details of the bill.

The bill includes the usual provisions to underpin a statutory authority's basic
operations  --  these  provisions are broadly consistent  with  other  Victorian
statutory authorities, including Dairy  Food  Safety  Victoria,  Prime  Safe and
Sustainability Victoria.
The bill outlines the objectives, functions and powers of the GMA.
The GMA will be -- first and  foremost -- a regulator. It will perform  all  the
compliance, investigative and  disciplinary functions related to game hunting in
Victoria.
Efficient and effective regulatory  activities  will be critical success factors
for  the  new Authority.  Good  regulatory  practice  is  essential  to underpin
confidence and facilitate growth in the industry.

Consistent with good regulatory  practice, I have ensured  that the functions of
the GMA do not conflict with each other -- a good regulator cannot both regulate
and  promote  the industry. As  such,  the GMA will  promote  sustainability and
responsibility in game 

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hunting, however, it will not have an explicit role in promoting the industry.
On behalf of  government,  I will retain  responsibility for the development  of
statewide strategic policy for game  management.  The GMA will play a vital role
in  monitoring, conducting  research  and analysing  the  environmental, social,
cultural and economic impacts of game hunting.
The GMA will also work  with public  land managers  to improve the management of
public land and facilities on public land where hunting is permitted. By working
together  through meaningful  and  constructive arrangements,  outcomes  can  be
improved for all public land users, including hunters.
The GMA will also develop operational plans and procedures that address:
  the sustainable harvest of game species;

  the humane treatment of species that are hunted and used in game hunting;
  minimising the negative impact on non-game  wildlife  including  protected and
  threatened wildlife; and the
  conservation of wildlife habitats.
The   GMA   will   also  influence  game  management  outcomes  through   making
recommendations to relevant ministers on:
  game hunting and game management;
  control of pest animals;

  declaration  of  public  land open and closed to game hunting, open and closed
  seasons, and bag limits; and
  management of public and private land as it relates to game and their habitat.
These are  important  roles for the GMA,  and  although it will not  be the lead
agency in respect of these matters, I anticipate that recommendations and advice
from the authority  will be influential in improving game management outcomes in
Victoria.
The bill establishes a skills-based board to  oversee the strategic direction of
the  authority. Membership of the board will consist of no less than five and no
more than nine members, including a chairperson and deputy chairperson.

The bill requires that the board has an appropriate mix of skills, knowledge and
experience  to  assist  the  authority   to  operate  in   a  robust  regulatory
environment. I will seek to ensure that collectively members have expertise in a
number of areas, including legal practice, finance, wildlife biology or ecology,
animal welfare and game, and wildlife management.
The bill provides that the CEO  of the GMA will be appointed by the chairperson.
To ensure the transparency of this process, the bill requires that the terms and
conditions of  appointment are to be approved by me on the recommendation of the
board.
The chairperson will  also be  the employer  of all  staff of  the authority  --
staff,  including the CEO, will be VPS staff but independent of DEPI. Staff from
Game Victoria will be transferred to the GMA with no associated job losses.

The CEO will be responsible to the board  for the  day-to-day management  of the
authority.
The bill  requires that  the GMA  provide me with an annual report, including  a
financial  statement  and  any  information  relating  to   its  objectives  and
functions. I  am also able to  provide directions to the GMA,  and these must be
published in the annual report.
For transparency and accountability, the annual report of the GMA will be tabled
in Parliament.
The bill also requires the GMA to prepare an annual business plan which sets out
its objectives and  priorities for the next three financial years, including its
financial  projections for that  period and its  budget  for the next  financial
year.

The bill  also contains enforcement  provisions  which allow the  GMA to appoint
authorised officers  to  exercise powers  and  perform functions and  duties for
relevant laws. This is consistent with current authorisations of officers.
The  bill also includes a  range of provisions  and  consequential amendments to
transfer   legislative   accountabilities    and   associated    decision-making
responsibilities to the GMA. These provisions  and consequential amendments only
transfer functions that  are  required by the  GMA  to perform  Game  Victoria's
current compliance and enforcement  functions.  All  other functions remain with
the secretary of DEPI.
To complement the good practice governance arrangements contained in the bill, I
will also provide three key administrative tools to support the efficient 

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and effective operation of the Game Management Authority. These are:
        (a)  an  operating  model  for the  incoming  board which  reflect  best
                practice regulatory principles;
        (b) a statement of expectation between myself and the GMA; and
        (c) a memorandum  of understanding/service level  agreement between  the
                authority and  key partner  agencies, including  DEPI,  Victoria
                Police and Parks Victoria.
I am pleased to provide this bill as a key part of a clearer strategic direction
for the future of hunting and game management in Victoria.
I commend the bill to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Ms HUTCHINS (Keilor).
Debate adjourned until Thursday, 26 December.