PROTESTORS who actively disrupt the efforts of timber industry workers by entering restricted zones or interfere with machinery face maximum fines of more than $21,000 or 12-months imprisonment.

Introduced to the Victorian Parliament this week, the Sustainable Forests Timber Amendment (Timber Harvesting Safety Zones) Bill 2022 will modernise enforcement measures to deter protest activities within restricted areas that are called Timber Harvesting Safety Zones.

The bill gives authorised officers additional powers to search containers, bags, and vehicles for prohibited items and issue Banning Notices.

PVC and metal pipes, which have been used in protest activities, will be added to the prohibited items list meaning they would potentially attract extra fines if used.

Agriculture minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, said protests are becoming increasingly dangerous, which is why this legislation will support workers to get on with their job and minimise disruption to the industry.

“Every Victorian has the right to be safe at work,” she said.

“We respect the right to protest safely but want to make sure workers go home to their families each day.”

Workplace Safety minister, Ingrid Stitt, said the bill recognised that the agriculture industry is already a dangerous environment and is sadly overrepresented in serious incidents and fatalities.

“Every Victorian deserves to be safe at work, and these laws will strengthen protections for forestry workers.”

The timber industry has been the source of ongoing controversy over the government’s Victorian Forestry Plan, that includes phasing out native forest logging in Victorian public forests by 2030.

The plan included investment and development of new plantations, however it has been revealed in recent weeks that not one single tree from the State Government’s 2019 pledge to plant 50,000 hectares to replace native timber plantations has been planted.

73,000 jobs in the industry hang in the balance as the country tackles building material shortages and uncertainty around global supply chains.

Timber industry stakeholders have strongly criticised the government’s handling of the industry, including Timber Towns Victoria (TTV) chair and Glenelg Shire deputy mayor, Karen Stephens, who said that shortages of native timber and the phasing out and locking up of timber coupes was stretching resources.

This week the Victorian Opposition again blasted the government over its appointment of Ben Hubbard, a former chief-of-staff to Labor Prime Minister Julia Gillard, as the new Chair and Director of VicForests.

Shadow Agriculture minister, Peter Walsh, slammed the appointment of Mr Hubbard, in what he described as “sneaky move to parachute another Labor mate into an executive role with the Victorian public sector”.

“The Andrews Government has no shame in rewarding its Labor mates with big responsibility or big salaries in the Victorian public sector to implement Daniel Andrews’ radical political agenda,” he said.

“Victoria’s native timber industry supports tens of thousands of Victorians to put food on the table, pay the bills and send the kids to school but under Labor this industry is being axed for nothing more than political point-scoring.

“The industry needs a champion, but by appointing a Labor mate to head up VicForests, the Labor Government is selfishly ensuring a champion for its own radical, activist-friendly agenda.”

Earlier this year the Victorian Ombudsman was asked to investigate the politicisation of the Victorian public sector, after growing concern that the only prerequisite to work in the Victorian Government was a past employment history with Labor.

Mr Walsh said this latest VicForests appointment should be added to the list.

“Quietly slipping this out on the eve of a Federal Election tells us Labor knows Victorians will question the legitimacy of this appointment,” Mr Walsh said.