Fisheries jobs 'on the line'

Date
    July 20, 2012 


Leaked information from a Cabinet Budget Review submission suggests that 550 jobs from the 2500 in the new Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry will be axed, according to Queensland's Deputy Opposition Leader.   

Speaking from Townsville this morning, Tim Mulherin said that was about 20 per cent of the department's staff.

"I understand that it is part of a Cabinet Budget Review submission to the CBR committee," Mr Mulherin said.

Agriculture Minister John McVeigh this morning confirmed there would job cuts and ruled out cuts to fisheries officers, but did not discuss the scale of job reductions.


Mr Mulherin also would not elaborate, but said his information came from a reliable source.

The public sector is rife with stories that departments are being asked to assess the impact of budget cuts of up to 20 per cent.   

Mr Mulherin, a former primary industries minister, said the impact of the scope of the job cuts he has been told of directly affected the front line efficiency of the agriculture sector.

"Within Fisheries, you have the boating and fishery patrol area which is about compliance," he said.

"But is also about the researchers which look at stock assessments; [and ask] 'is the fishery sustainable?'

"They are the researchers that manage the fish management plans across the different fisheries.

"'Somewhere between 60 and 100. That is in Fisheries. Across the whole department, which includes Fisheries, it could be up to 550."   

Mr Mulherin said the scale of the figures "made sense" given Premier Campbell Newman's view last month that the public sector was supporting 20,000 more public servants than it could afford.

However Mr McVeigh accused Mr Mulherin of "peddling fear" among public servants in his portfolio.

"There will be staff reductions, but those reductions will definitely not include frontline officers involved in key services such as fisheries patrols," he said.

"All areas of government have been asked to find savings to redress the massive underlying budget deficit and $65 billion state debt left by the previous Bligh Labor government."

Mr McVeigh did not address the issue of 550 possible job losses and instead attacked Mr Mulherin, who he said had "zero credibility" after "years of mismanagement".

"Instead of deliberately peddling fear among fisheries staff in his former department, Mr Mulherin should be apologising for his disgraceful 'de-investment' program that saw hundreds of dedicated and hard-working frontline officers sacked," he said.

Mr McVeigh said the Liberal National Party had already done what it promised to do by setting up a department of agriculture.

The agriculture and fisheries area is the latest area where claims of public sector job reductions are now being negotiated.   

1 comment so far

        Its not fear mongering if it is actuallya going to happen. 20% is becoming a fact across government. What the non public service punter doesn't seem to get is that this 20% is based on 'functions' ceasing, ie jobs being done by public servants. So its not just 20% of departments going it is a significant amount of the funtions they porivde to the public. Some of those 'lazy public servants' actually do things to serve the public. So keep on gloating everyone who thinks firing people is good because it will come back to bite you.   


Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/fisheries-jobs-on-the-line-20120720-22e82.html#ixzz217xcGBDM

As usual they will cut jobs and in 12 mths time when they find out the departments are under staffed they will employ more people again.
The skilled experienced hard working people will leave and the departments will be left with lazy hangers on who will make life a misery for the govt of the day..Its the same old story