Within days of finishing work that started with fire protection and ended with clearing our bushfire impacted roads, Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, says the timber industry has been hung out to dry.

“Many timber contractors are now nervously assessing their livelihoods with the government’s previous guarantee of work through to 2024 being uncertain due to a range of factors that include:

• Environmental groups obtaining injunctions preventing logging in coupes they were

to return to,

• VicForests dragging its feet to open up replacement coupes, and

• A lack of effort on the level of roadside clearing required to ensure we do not have more long-term road closures.

“On top of this, last week East Gippsland native timber harvesters were issued with the information of Daniel Andrews’ plan to close the industry. What insensitive timing.

“Then to protect is own backside, the government activates a force majeure (unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract) clause in its contract from the fires, to ensure it does not have to compensate contractors.

“Putting aside the fact that having a sustainable native timber industry makes sense, this fire season we have seen the other side of the benefits these workers provide.

“Establishing fire breaks to protect communities and clearing roads to reconnect communities and get business and tourism functioning again.

“The government says most of the contractors have alternative work, but this is misleading as in most cases it is not the full crew, meaning workers are out of employment when they don’t need to be.

“When the proverbial was hitting the fan, this Government needed the timber workers and their expertise, but as soon as the heat goes off with the roads open, the love is gone, just like a light switch.

“What is ridiculous is that while we have some still doing roadside clean up, there is so much more work to be done where they could be utilised.

“For starters there is much more Princes Highway clearing to be done to ensure it is not closed for lengthy periods again.

“Then there are the other roads like the Monaro Highway, Bemm River Road and Mallacoota road to name a few and forest roads that can be cleared for strategic fire breaks.

“With the right clearing there is no need for these communities to be isolated for so long in such an event.

“Then of course there is the salvage of this roadside timber which will provide valuable work for the timber industry while their VicForests contracts are on hold.

“It is about balance, we have some great National Parks in East Gippsland and these should be maintained but we cannot have roads closed and communities cut off for so long, so let’s give these contractors this work at least in the short term.

“The government says it is committed to providing work for the majority of the contractors affected by the force majeure notice. What it must do is guarantee work for all until 2024 as it promised.”   

Eastern Victorian Upper House MP, Melina Bath said the timber harvesters have been blindsided by Labor.

“Daniel Andrews must reverse his decision and find an immediate solution for all of East Gippsland’s native timber harvest and haulage workers.”

Caption: State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull pictured at Parliament last year with timber industry representatives and timber towns community members seeking to keep their industry jobs beyond 2030.

The need for direct financial support for fire impacted businesses in East Gippsland has been raised yet again by Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull - this time to a full chamber in State Parliament.

“I have also asked the Minister for Small Business directly for support and had more discussions directly with the Premier.

“My message is that while mentoring, partial rate relief funding provided to councils and tax breaks are all handy, it will not cut it this time around. We really have to assist businesses in need.”

Mr Bull said as a starting point in discussions, he has presented the following proposal to Government to get the ball rolling:

If you are in a Bushfire impacted areas like East Gippsland and your BAS statement is down 30% or more on the same quarter last year (which was an average year):

 And you employ 1-5 people you will receive $10,000

 And you employ 6-20 people you will receive $20,000

 And you employ 21+ you will receive $30,000.

“The BAS statement is the statement of fact in this. The funding criteria can be played with, but I wanted to present a proposal as a starting point for discussions.

“The other element of this is that there could be different levels of support depending on how much businesses were down on last year. For example, those who are 50% down could receive more funding.

“I know this will not cover all the losses some businesses have experienced, but the idea is to provide something to get them through.

“There will also be different ideas around what is the best proposal, but having spoken to a large number of businesses, we think this a good starting point.

“It needs to be simple and easy to implement and this would only require funding to be provided and a team of assessors,” said Mr Bull.

Caption: State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull pictured with Deb and Ray Bowen at the Bemm River Hotel, has called for direct financial assistance for fire impacted businesses. 

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, has sought changes to the commercial fishing buy out package structure, so that fishing families are not disadvantaged.

“I have corresponded with Fisheries Victoria and put a question to the Minister in Parliament this week to review what seems an unintended consequence of the legislation,” said Mr Bull.

“The approaches were made to support correspondence that has already been forwarded to the Minister by at least one local fishing family.

“The issue is how the money is being paid is not recognising fishing families as a husband and wife partnership, which we all know they are, which leaves them disadvantaged in relation to the tax outcome and not getting the full benefit of the package.

“The total payment is going to the licence holder, rather than the business, which creates the implications. Advice is that this can be rectified by a change in wording that says the government is acquiring the fishing business rather than the licence.

“It would produce the same outcome, but not disadvantage the fishing families financially and recognise that these businesses are a partnership.”

Gippsland Lakes image courtesy of Visit Victoria Content Hub

State parliament’s condolence motion this week recognised the tragic loss of lives in the recent bushfires in Victoria, including the fire related deaths of three East Gippsland men.

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, in speaking to the motion has paid tribute to the late Dave Moresi, Mick Roberts, and Fred Becker in which he described the heart-breaking circumstances of their deaths and the grief that their family and friends are enduring.

“I knew each of these men to varying degrees: Dave Moresi, the flashy star full forward for Swan Reach who I wanted to emulate as a young recruit; Mick Roberts as the knock about larrikin and good bloke from Buchan and Fred Becker the third generation sawmiller and local legend from the far east of Maramingo Creek, said Mr Bull.

“What they had in common was a love of the bush, their families and the small settlements they called home.

“The unique appeal of the forests, farms and townships of East Gippsland is something that we all appreciate, but we owe it to Dave, Mick and Fred and their families to do better on reducing fuel loads, creating fire breaks, resourcing of our fire agencies and fire planning.

“As a starting point I have asked for a return to the 5 per cent planned burn target which was based on expert advice provided to the 2009 Black Saturday Royal Commission.

“Dave, Mick and Fred will be greatly missed by the East Gippsland Community”

The final report of the Inquiry into the Impact of Animal Rights Activism on Victorian Agriculture has been released and Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, says Labor should be ashamed for walking away from farmers and pandering to Green ideology.

“The Liberal Nationals moved to establish the inquiry after calls from farmers for better protections against a worsening militant campaign of trespass and livestock theft, but it has gone the other way.

“Instead of backing our farmers, Labor MPs sided with those who want to push their extreme anti-agriculture agenda on Victorians.

“It attempts to give these illegal activists a ‘get out of jail free’ card.

“Recommendation one states a need to consider a ‘public interest exemption’ in the Surveillance Devices Act 1999. This would provide a judicial defence for activists who trespass on a farm to set up surveillance equipment.

“We wanted tougher penalties, but the lefties on the committee suggest an exemption. You would expect this from some of the extreme left, but for Labor to support this really shows where they sit with the farming community.

“For this reason, the Liberal Nationals are unable to support the Committee’s majority report and Labor can’t claim to support our farmers while handing law-breaking activists a legitimate excuse to trespass.

“This inquiry was a genuine opportunity to deliver the change regional communities have been demanding,” said Mr Bull.

“But instead of backing our farmers, Labor MPs are moving to tie producers up in more red tape and run a protection racket for the law-breaking activists attempting to destroy our farm industries.

“The Committee heard harrowing stories of the emotional and financial toll illegal farm invasions are inflicting on Victorian farming families.

“Despite clear evidence the response from our courts to farm trespass and theft is not meeting community expectations, the report is silent on ways to improve protections for farmers against activists who break the law,” he said.

Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, who initiated the Inquiry, said instead of preventing and deterring illegal animal activist activity on Victorian farms, Labor MPs drove the Inquiry in another direction altogether, delivering recommendations to indulge the ideological agenda of law-breaking activists.

 “After receiving hundreds of submissions supporting stronger farm trespass laws and hearing about the emotional and financial distress caused by animal activists in Victoria, Committee members have largely ignored farmers.

“Our farmers have suffered greatly at the hands of animal activists, but this isn’t reflected in the report, so I had no choice but to deliver a minority report to address its shortcomings.”

Image of hereford calf courtesy of Visit Victoria Content Hub

Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, said having presented a proposal to government three weeks ago for a fishing competition to boost tourism and the local economy, he was pleased it has been adopted and announced today.

Titled the “Golden Tag” competition, Mr Bull said he came up with the proposal to try and attract more visitors to the region over the next year, but particularly the winter period.

“The rivers that flow into the Gippsland Lakes provide some great winter fishing opportunities and the estuaries further east like Lake Tyers, Bemm River and Mallacoota are also terrific options, as are our high country streams.

“The idea came from a discussion with business owners and is part of a broader plan to lift winter visitation by 20 percent. I think two of the key areas to achieving this are anglers, as fishing is one of our most predominant winter pastimes, and also corporate conferences.

“It was on this basis I presented the suggestion and detail to Fisheries Victoria, which agreed it was a great idea. An incentive like this will attract anglers across the country and provide a major boost to business along the way.

“The competition will run for 12 months and tagging has already begun – that will result in 1,000 fish in the rivers and estuaries of East Gippsland and north east Victoria being money bearing catches,” said Mr Bull

To provide an immediate economic stimulus, the first 10 tagged fish to be caught will earn the lucky fisher a $10,000 cheque, with tagged fish beyond the first 10 to be awarded a $2,000 cash prize.

Tagged species include, black bream, dusky flathead and King George whiting in East Gippsland, and in the north east, Murray cod, brown trout and rainbow trout.

The competition will bring people back to towns like Mallacoota, Cann River, Bemm River, Orbost, Marlo, Lakes Entrance, Lake Tyers, Buchan and Omeo.

The competition will begin in the coming months, dependent on conditions in bushfire affected areas, with a start date to be set in consultation with Visit Victoria. For more information visit vfa.vic.gov.au/goldentag.

Caption: State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull making the announcement of the Gold Tag competition at State Parliament today with Government Ministers Jaala Pulford and Martin Pakula. This lighter moment occurred when the metro media pack asked for an insight into where the money bearing fish will be.