2016-03-10
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Can the minister advise of the 21 000 people that she says are employed in the timber industry, noting that the Greens dispute that figure in terms of being employed in the native forest industry, how many of those people are suitably qualified to conduct targeted pre-logging fauna surveys?
Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — I will take that question on notice. I am not familiar with the qualifications of each and every person working in the native timber industry in Victoria. I will ask them and get back to Ms Dunn.
Supplementary Question
Ms DUNN (Eastern Metropolitan) — I thank the minister for her follow-up on that. In terms of a supplementary, I am wondering what is the minister’s view on what would comprise suitable qualifications to undertake those surveys?
Ms PULFORD (Minister for Agriculture) — I think Ms Dunn is asking for an opinion here — —
The PRESIDENT — Order! It was phrased in a such a way that I can understand why the minister would question that. But whilst it was phrased that way, I think Ms Dunn was actually seeking detail of the qualifications that might be expected, so I do not think that she was looking for an opinion; otherwise I would have intervened.
Ms PULFORD — I thank Ms Dunn for her interest in the qualifications of people employed in native timber harvesting. Again, I will take this question on notice. I have never been involved personally in the direct employment of somebody in this work, and so the nature of the qualifications that are expected of people working in this industry are not something that I am immediately familiar with.
Written Response
Ms PULFORD — I have been advised by VicForests that all of its targeted species surveys are carried out by external ecological consultants who have suitable experience in the threatened species surveying requirements of VicForests.
The ecologists conducting the targeted species surveys have a range of tertiary and post-graduate qualifications. As I have stated, I have never been involved personally in the direct employment of somebody in this work. However I am confident that VicForests is engaging ecological consultants with suitable qualifications and experience.
A large number of people could theoretically conduct this work. I have been advised that VicForests uses a number of ecological consultancies with experience in fauna and flora surveys for its targeted species surveys. These consultancies have also been engaged by a range of Victorian Government departments for similar work.