New laws will leave Victorian timber workers vulnerable to a range of new serious criminal offences is trashing proper community and industry consultation, according to State Liberal Member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish. Source: Timberbiz
Ms McLeish accused the State Government of attempting to ram the new laws through.
Timber workers face fines of up to $21,000 under these new laws, with timber harvesting companies facing fines of up to a staggering $109,000.
Ms McLeish said the Forests Legislation Amendment (Compliance and Enforcement) Bill needed to be withdrawn to allow proper consultation to take place on the new proposed Code of Practice.
The Victorian timber industry was blindsided two weeks ago by the government’s decision to bring the Bill forward despite it having been sitting on the notice paper for the best part of 18 months.
The Bill was initially sent to committee with the intention to vote on it last Thursday.
Instead, the controversial Bill, which has progressed with the help of the Greens, Fiona Patten’s Reason Party, the Animal Justice Party and Sustainable Australia Party, is expected to up for a final vote when Parliament next sits.
But there have been suggestions this week that the Government might not even put the BIll on the Notice Paper.
“Not only has the Andrews Labor Government threatened the livelihoods of thousands of timber workers across Victoria with their destructive policies, they are now subjecting timber workers with criminal offences with no chance of defending themselves,” Ms McLeish said.
The State Government announced on June 30 it was “overhauling” the Code of Practice and had invited feedback on its draft amendments. However, the Government has failed to release its proposed new Code of Practice, leaving the timber industry in the dark over what it can and cannot do.
“The timber industry doesn’t even know what requirements will be contained in the new Code of Practice. The State Government needs to initiate consultation with the industry,” Ms McLeish said.
“It’s clear this Andrews Labor Government want to cut down Victoria’s thriving timber industry and is targeting timber workers with these excessive unfair laws,” she said.
