about the campaign...

CPSU and the Fisheries Officers Association Victoria are seeking your support to restore the numbers of Fisheries Officers. It is only through restoring and maintaining the numbers of Fisheries Officers that Victorian fisheries will have a fighting chance for future sustainability.

• What’s Happening

What's happening

CPSU is pleased to report steady progress on addressing the state-wide Fisheries Officer shortage over the last two months.

Strong media exposure on Fisheries Officers and the campaign continues with a recent cover story in Melbourne Bayside Weekly. Click on 'Media' tab to access this story.

In late September, persistent campaigning and behind-the-scenes politicking compelled the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to advertise internally and fill vacant Fisheries Officer Positions. Eight vacancies were advertised in the September to November period with Apollo Bay, Metro (Altona), Cowes, Mallacoota, Traralgon, Portland (fixed term position only) and Yarram stations receiving the backfilled positions.

Prior to commencement of Caretaker mode, CPSU negotiated an additional six Fisheries Officer positions to be funded out of the Recreational License Trust. These positions were advertised on jobs.career.vic.gov.au on November 2^nd. Having initially reached agreement with CPSU on locations in early November, DPI subsequently breached trust and ignored negotiations to that date. In line with the original 2009/10 Future Field Services Locations Submission, CPSU argued that additional positions were urgently required at Warrnambool, Apollo Bay, Metro (Altona), Cowes, Yarram and Lakes Entrance stations. More recently the Mornington station was added to this priority list. DPI have since deployed the positions at Mornington (two positions), Metro (Altona), Geelong, Cowes and Apollo Bay.

CPSU stands by the recommended locations in the 2009/10 Future Field Services Locations Submission and will continue to lobby for additional officers at these locations. Outstanding vacancies remain an industrial issue. The campaign will continue in the New Year until sufficient numbers of Fisheries Officers and Investigators are employed state wide. A revised CSPU-FOA budget submission will be available in the New Year through the campaign website at cpsuvic.org/campaigns/fisheries.

When the current round of backfilling and advertisements are complete and providing there are no further losses of existing Fisheries Officers, there will be a total population of 69 Fisheries Officers and 4 Regional Investigators state wide. This figure excludes a long standing vacancy at Metro (Altona) which was advertised recently for backfilling. Note that Officer numbers were so low that only two stations (Metro and Mornington) have benefited from additional positions out of this process. All other stations were so understaffed that changes on foot will return them to minimum staffing levels only.

Several recommendations listed in the Fisheries Officer’s Association 2009/10 Future Field Services Locations Submission are now addressed including instalment of a Senior Fisheries Officer at Swan Hill and Alexandra stations. This submission can be accessed in full through the campaign website. Please note the website will be continually updated in the New Year to reflect changes in numbers and locations as positions are filled.

Whilst vacant positions remain and locations are still in dispute, members are thrilled with the campaign outcomes to date. On behalf of the Fisheries Officers Association, CPSU thanks the many and varied community, industry and research organizations or individuals who have supported Fisheries Officers throughout this election campaign.

Recreational Fishing License Funding for Fisheries Officers Positions
The Recreational Fishing License (RFL) is used in part to fund Fisheries Compliance. In 2006-07, a portion of the License Trust funded ten Fisheries Officers positions. By 2007-08, the License Trust was funding seven Fisheries Officers positions only. DPI claims this reduction was necessary due to ‘increases in staff-related costs’.

The RFL revenue has steadily increased since its inception as the All Waters License. The number of Fisheries Officers has decreased over the same period. DPI has claimed since early 2008 that no additional funds exist to backfill vacant positions – a claim at odds with the substantial revenue generated by the RFL.

2006-07
Total RLF sales revenue $5 243 771.34 (increase of ~$600 000 on previous year)
$1 055 927.94 allocated to ten Fisheries Officer positions
Increase of $152 603.20 on previous year

2007/08
Total RFL sales revenue $4 822 308.74 (decrease of ~$420 000 on previous year)
$1 175 774.45 allocated to seven Fisheries Officer positions
Increase of $119 846.50 on previous year

2008/09
Total RFL sales revenue $5 274 786.04 (increase of ~$450 000 on previous year)
$1 030 391.36 allocated to seven Fisheries Officer positions
Decrease of $145 383.10 on previous year

2009/10
Total RFL sales revenue $6 149 781.24 (increase of ~$875 000 on previous year)
$1 061 693.16 allocated to seven Fisheries Officer positions
Increase of $31 301.80 on previous year

Recreational Fishing License Trust Reports containing revenue data can be accessed through the DPI Fisheries website.