I rise to speak on the Outdoor Recreation Victoria Bill 2026. As a country Victorian I am proud to speak on this bill, because it is a bill that recognises something so many people in rural and regional Victoria have known for generations: our great outdoors is part of who we are. For many Victorians, particularly those of us who live outside Melbourne, outdoor recreation is not an occasional activity; it is a way of life. It is the family fishing trip before dawn. It is the annual duck season opening so your family can eat meat in the wintertime. It is camping with friends on public land. It is four-wheel driving through our forests, riding trails, exploring waterways and sharing traditions that have been passed down through generations. This bill sends a powerful message that these activities matter, the people who participate in them matter and the communities that depend on them matter.
Roma Britnell: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker, we are supposed to be speaking on the amendments, not the bill itself. I think we have got the wrong speech happening here. It is supposed to be on the amendments.
Members interjecting.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Members on their feet should be heard in silence.
Colin Brooks: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, there have been some wideranging comments from speakers on the other side of the house. I think the member is entitled to talk to the matter.
James Newbury: On the point of order, Deputy Speaker, the speaker herself referred to her speech as ‘being on the bill’, not on the amendments. If you refer to Hansard, it was referred to as a speech on the bill.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: On the point of order, member for Ripon?
Martha HAYLETT: I can speak on the amendments.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have not ruled on the point of order yet. I note that the amendments affect clause 1. It is usually the process of the house in committee that clause 1 is fairly open slather with regard to the whole of the bill because clause 1 is the definition of the bill. It is therefore, I would say, relevant that anything regarding the amendments within clause 1 can then be debated with regard to the amendments. Without upholding the point of order, I draw to the attention of the member for Ripon that we are talking about the amendments to the original bill, not the original bill.
Martha HAYLETT: The establishment of Outdoor Recreation Victoria, or as amended by the Legislative Council, Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria, represents a significant step forward in how we support outdoor recreation across our state. Rather than treating recreation, hunting, fishing, boating and access to public land as separate issues, this legislation and the amendments bring them together under one organisation with a clear message: to promote participation, strengthen access, support regional communities and make these activities continue sustainably into the future. Importantly, these amendments do not diminish the strong regulatory functions currently undertaken by the Victorian Fisheries Authority and the Game Management Authority; in fact they preserve them. The expertise, compliance capabilities and staff that currently support Victoria’s world-class fisheries and game-hunting management systems will continue under the new authority, but these amendments go further and the bill goes further. It recognises that government should not simply regulate outdoor recreation, it should champion it.
I want to speak specifically about hunting and fishing because they are often misunderstood by those who have not experienced them and underestimated by those who do not see their contribution to rural and regional Victoria. For thousands of Victorians, hunting and fishing are family traditions that connect people to nature, to each other and to the landscapes that we love. I know so many families in my electorate of Ripon where grandparents taught parents, who then taught their children, how to fish responsibly, how to care for the environment and how to safely enjoy the outdoors. These activities teach patience, they teach respect, they teach self-reliance and, perhaps most importantly, they are an affordable way for working families to take time out from the stresses of their daily lives and just switch off. The physical and mental health benefits of outdoor recreation are enormous. I know that for me and for so many others spending time outdoors reduces stress, improves wellbeing and strengthens social connections. Hunting and fishing bring families and friends together to share experiences and build lifelong memories.
They also contribute so much to our local economies. Our government has highlighted that recreational fishing and boating contribute around $5.82 billion to the Victorian economy and support approximately 56,000 jobs. Game hunting contributes a further $356 million and supports more than 3100 jobs. These figures were recorded back in 2019, and it is widely understood that the contribution today is even more than that. These jobs are not just concentrated on Spring Street, Lonsdale Street or Collins Street in Melbourne; they are found in our regional communities. Hunting and fishing support our tackle shops, bait suppliers, accommodation providers, pubs, cafes, caravan parks, servos, mechanics, boat dealers and countless small businesses. When people travel to Lake Eildon, the Murray River, the Gippsland Lakes, the Wimmera, the Mallee or our Western District waterways to fish, they spend money locally. When hunters travel for duck season, deer hunting or other game-hunting opportunities, they support local businesses. When campers and outdoor enthusiasts visit regional Victoria, they support local jobs. In communities across my electorate of Ripon and throughout rural and regional Victoria these visitors are not simply tourists; they are customers, employees, volunteers and contributors to our local prosperity. That is why these amendments matter so much, because their purpose is not merely administrative reform; their purpose is making sure that more Victorians can access and enjoy the outdoors, while strengthening the regional economies that depend on that participation. A scary number of Melburnians have never travelled more than 90 minutes outside our capital city. These amendments are trying to change that so that more Victorians can explore the beauty of Mount Buangor State Park, the Grampians, Mount Cole, Kara Kara National Park, Kooyoora State Park and beyond.
One of the most exciting aspects of this legislation and the amendments is their commitment to improving access to public land and waterways. Time and time again regional Victorians have told us that access matters. They want clear information and commonsense ways to enjoy public land.
They want confidence about where they can camp, fish, hunt, prospect, ride or explore. The Legislative Council amendments strengthen this focus even further through the establishment of a land and aquatic access panel and an explicit recognition of access to waterways and aquatic environments. The amendments also broaden the definition of outdoor recreation to include activities such as trail bike riding, prospecting, horseriding and other recreational pursuits. This is really important because access is everything. You cannot enjoy the outdoors if you cannot get there, you cannot support regional tourism if barriers prevent people from accessing the landscapes they want to experience and you cannot grow participation if people struggle to find information or navigate multiple agencies and processes. This new authority will help address those challenges.
This legislation and the amendments also come at a critical time for many regional communities. Across Victoria many communities are seeking new opportunities for jobs and growth. Nature-based tourism and outdoor recreation represent a tremendous opportunity. Our Labor government knows that nature-based tourism contributes billions of dollars annually to our economy. Outdoor recreation is increasingly becoming one of the strongest assets that regional Victoria possesses, and unlike many industries, our natural assets cannot be outsourced. The rivers, forests and lakes are all right here. The sites that attract so many visitors to regional Victoria exist nowhere else. When managed responsibly and sustainably, outdoor recreation creates lasting economic opportunities. This bill recognises that potential, as do the amendments from the upper house.
It also demonstrates that our government has listened. Hunters have asked for their contribution to be recognised. Fishers have asked for continued investment and support, and regional communities like mine have asked for better access. Outdoor recreation groups have asked for a stronger voice, and I am so proud to have helped be that voice in government as a proud supporter of recreational hunting, shooting and fishing. I have always supported recreational hunting, and I always will. I know how many people rely on it for food, and I know how much it brings families together – often those who work the hardest and get the least. This bill and the amendments back them. It backs the kid from Amphitheatre who wants to catch their first fish. It backs the truck driver from Beaufort who camps at Teddington Reservoir each summer. It backs the hunter from Snake Valley who has continued a tradition that has been part of her family for generations, and it backs the local businesses in Ararat, St Arnaud, Maryborough, Inglewood, Avoca, Raglan and Creswick who benefit from more visitors exploring our great outdoors. I proudly support these amendments, and I commend them to the house.
