Queenscliff fisheries station faces closure in proposed workforce restructure

THE Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) has proposed a significant restructure to its operations that could see its station in Queenscliff close and the size of its workforce reduced.

The changes, put forward by the VFA earlier this month, would see Fisheries officers across the state replaced with engagement officers, whose focus would transition from enforcement to community education.

The Queenscliff station would be one of five fisheries stations to close under the proposal.

These stations would be replaced with three “community hubs”, including one in St Leonards, while VFA staffing numbers would be reduced from 192 to 157.

In a statement on its website, the VFA said the region’s fisheries have changed over the past 10 years, with high compliance levels of about 90 percent recorded across the community.

“It is therefore timely that, like other Victorian government departments and agencies, the VFA reviews its operations.

“In doing this, we propose to reform the organisation to reflect changes in the fisheries we manage.

“This is a proposal only and is currently out for consultation with our affected team members.”

The announcement has sparked concerns in the local community, with residents fearing the move will result in weaker compliance and more illegal fishing, threatening both fish stocks and the marine environment.

Wayne Townsend, acting branch secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), said the proposal raised “huge safety concerns” for the union’s members and called on the Victorian government to halt the restructure.

“We are very concerned for worker safety in this proposed environment,” he said in a statement.

“We believe that the impacts of the proposal will have a significant impact on the sustainability of the fisheries environment.”

A VFA spokesperson said the body was confident the proposed operating model would ensure fishing in Victoria “will be as good into the future as it is today”.

“Going forward, we will be more focused on education and engaging the community with fishing, and we have proposed workforce changes to reflect this.

“Our workforce will focus on keeping compliance levels high, and on major fishing crime, while working closely with the community to provide them the education and resources they need to fish responsibly.

“We are consulting with employees and the union on workforce changes and will provide all staff with the support they need through this period.”