This Act establishes the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and amends the Fisheries Act 1995 (Vic) to allow the VFA and its Chief Executive Officer to exercise functions under that Act. This Bill also makes minor amendments to other Acts.
The VFA is designed to be responsible for the majority of the functions currently undertaken by Fisheries Victoria. It has been established to improve regulatory outcomes in the recreational and commercial fisheries sector, including the Aboriginal fishing sector, and enforce compliance with the Fisheries Act 1995 and other regulations that relate to fishing activities. The Act also amends the definition of ‘decision maker’ in the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 (Vic) by replacing references to the Secretary regarding decisions under the Fisheries Act 1995 with references to the Authority.
For further information please see the Second Reading Speech from the Legislative Assembly.