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Coalition proposes amendments to Outdoor Recreation Bill to improve fairness, transparency, access and protections

The Nationals and Liberals propose amendments to the Outdoor Recreation Bill to strengthen fairness, transparency, regional access and protections for fishing, hunting and outdoor users.

By news@gippsland - 16th June 2026 - Back to News

The Nationals and Liberals will move a targeted package of practical amendments to the Outdoor Recreation Victoria Bill 2026 to restore clarity, fairness, and accountability to the management of Victoria's public land and water resources. While The Liberals and Nationals do not oppose the amalgamation of the outdoor bodies, Shadow Minister for Outdoor Recreation, Melina Bath, said Labor's framework fails to properly protect the long-term rights of Victoria's hunting, fishing, and regional recreation communities.

The Nationals and Liberals propose amendments to strengthen regional representation, protect commercial fishing, ensure access, transparency, and industry expertise in outdoor recreation governance

Reforming access authority

The Nationals and Liberals targeted amendments will force critical structural updates onto the new combined entity, ensuring regional voices are not locked out:

• Rename the Authority: Changes the name to the Victorian Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Authority to formally cement the status of these sectors
• Protect commercial fishing: Inserts explicit legal protections for existing licenses, quotas, and management entitlements under the Fisheries Act 1995
• Recognise regional activities: Formally protects regional pastimes including trail-bike riding, prospecting, fossicking, and horse riding from being locked out
• Mandate physical access: Forces the authority to deliver services in physical, non-electronic formats so older and regional Victorians are not abandoned by a digital-only shift
• Expand access oversight: Upgrades the framework into a Land and Aquatic Access Panel to protect public access across lands, coastal zones, and marine waterways
• Stop political interference: Bans Ministerial intervention in specific licensing and enforcement matters, shielding regulatory decisions from politics
• Enforce officer transparency: Mandates strict public reporting on the deployment, vacancy rates, and active on-ground coverage of authorized officers
• Guarantee industry expertise: Legally requires the Board to hold real-world, practical experience across commercial and recreational sectors

Ms Bath said the practical amendments shift decision-making away from city desktops and ground future choices in science, regional data and stakeholder knowledge.

Fishing access rights

Ms Bath said, "We want more Victorians enjoying recreational fishing and the proud tradition of hunting, not more land locked up and access restricted. The commercial sector has been overlooked and placed in the too-hard basket by the Allan Labor government, and that must change. These are primary producers delivering fresh, sustainable food. They deserve certainty, recognition and a real voice.

"Access to land and water can't be decided behind closed doors with no explanation. It must be fair, transparent and accountable. These amendments ensure the new authority is stronger and more accountable from the very start," Ms Bath said.

Pictures from Melina Bath MP Facebook page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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