Victoria’s timber towns are set to be stripped of more jobs, as Premier Jacinta Allan prepares to cut 208 staff from her government’s Bushfire and Forest Services Group across 99 regional sites, according to The Weekly Times. Source: The Weekly Times
Orbost, Omeo, Heyfield, Bairnsdale, Yarram, Corryong and other towns have already been hit by Allan Government’s termination of native timber harvesting on January 1 this year, which forced many workers to find jobs elsewhere.
But documents obtained by The Weekly Times show the government is now preparing to cut back regional forest and firefighting jobs, peppering the losses across the state.
The staff consultation documents shows 118 of the 208 job cuts will come from the BFS Group’s forest fire operations staff, who are scattered across regional Victoria, especially in the state’s east.
All up the Bushfire and Forest Services Group’s staff numbers are to be cut from 1925 to 1717.
Orbost forestry consultant Garry Squires told The Weekly Times the town had already lost timber harvesting and mill jobs, as well as seven VicForests staff, who had taken redundancies.
“Any further cuts make it more difficult to deal with the inevitable fires,” Mr Squires said.
“Unfortunately it’s the frontline people who’ll go, while middle managers hold onto their jobs.”
Gippsland East Nationals MP Tim Bull told The Weekly Times “on the cusp of summer, with fuel loads at record levels, the government is cutting fire operations staff”.
“We are going to burn again, so we need better resource not less. This is terrible news.”
The Weekly Times says the cuts appear to have been triggered by budgetary pressure resulting from DEECA absorbing the VicForests operations and forestry staff, plus taking on some of the former native timber harvest and haulage contractors and their heavy machinery.
The Community and Public Sector Union is in negotiations with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, with a spokesman stating it was doing all it could to protect regional jobs.
DEECA’s consultation document states “since the transfer of fire functions and people from Parks Victoria, BFS is now located at 99 regional work centres across regional Victoria.
“The government’s commitment to end native timber harvesting has changed our work programs.”
Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos told The Weekly Times “DEECA’s Bushfire and Forest Services Group was consulting with staff about a proposed new model that will deliver value for Victorians and ensure we have the right people working on the right things – including making sure our communities can continue to enjoy the great outdoors while protecting what we all love about the bush.
“We will maintain a strong regional presence across Victoria and focus our skilled staff on a forest and fire management program that delivers for local communities. The proposal is the subject of consultation with staff as DEECA finalises the model.”
