Recreational Fishing Grants Working Group Meeting 19

13 September 2013 - Location: Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Snobs Creek fish hatchery

Independent Chair's Summary

This was the 19th meeting of the Recreational Fishing Grants Working Group.

Key items discussed included:

  • Progress in establishing the Snobs Creek fish stocking advisory board
  • 2012/13 Recreational Fishing Licence Trust Account report to Parliament
  • Progress with key Recreational Fishing Grants Program projects
  • Fisheries Victoria regional forums
  • 2012/13 Recreational Fishing (Large) Grants Program
  • Providing rod holder devices on recreational fishing platforms

Progress in establishing Snobs Creek fish stocking advisory board

A draft Terms of Reference for the board is being finalised.  A recruitment process for board membership will be undertaken by December 2013. It is anticipated that the board will appointed and fully operational by February 2014.  A draft strategic plan will be prepared and ready for review by the board in February 2014.

2012/13 RFL Trust Account revenue and expenditure report to Parliament

Pursuant to Section 1514(b) of the Fisheries Act 1995, the Minister (responsible for Victorian fisheries) must cause a report on how amounts paid into the RFL Trust Account were disbursed –

(a) to be prepared by 1 October each year; and
(b) to be laid before each House of Parliament on or before the seventh sitting day of that House after the report has been prepared.  The draft 2012/13 report was audited by the Office of the Victorian Auditor-General. It is proposed that the completed final report will be tabled in both Houses of Parliament on 17 September 2013.

Following its tabling, the report will be published on the DEPI website.

Progress with key Recreational Fishing Grants Program projects

Fisheries Victoria provided the Working Group with a presentation on the status of 68 RFL funded projects currently underway. Projects are proceeding satisfactorily.

Fisheries Victoria 11 regional recreational fisher forums

For the fifth consecutive year, Fisheries Victoria, in partnership with VRFish, held recreational fishing regional forums across the State in June and July 2013.

The 11 forums provided fishers with the opportunity to have a say about growing recreational fishing in Victoria and learn more about what Fisheries Victoria is doing to improve fishing opportunities.

Locations for the forums included Port Fairy, Greensborough, Eildon, Nagambie, Bendigo, Inverloch, Werribee, Wodonga, Lakes Entrance and Torquay.

More than 300 recreational fishers attended the 11 forums held.

Key issues raised at the forums will be published on the DEPI website.

2013/14 Recreational Fishing (Large) Grants Program

The 2013/14 round of the RFGP will open on 1 October 2013.

Through the Minister for Agriculture and Food Security, some 900 organisations in Victoria will receive a written invitation to a submit an application(s) for grant funding. 

Grant applications will close on 28 February 2014, and can be made through DEPI via the online SmartyGrants system.

Providing rod holders on recreational fishing platforms

The 2013/14 RFGP's Conditions & Guidelines regarding Access & Facilities projects involving the construction of a recreational fishing platform will be amended to specify that, where practicable, a suitable form of rod holding device/s should be installed on these platforms.

Next meeting: 25 March 2014

Rob Loats
Independent Chair
Recreational Fishing Grants Working Group