Do you think the LNP is doing a good job in relation to policies affecting recreation

[Homer_Jay]

Thanks for at least giving us a response, Mark. Could you please provide a little more info on the following points?

Happy to point out the commitments that the LNP made wrt fishing should we be in government.
1. $10 million net licence buyback. This commitment is underway. What is the expected result of this? How many "net boats" are expected to take up the offer? What areas are being targeted? What is the time frame that is given for this project?
2. Marine infrastructure fund. To build more boat ramps, pontoons, artificial reefs etc. Applications to this fund are to my knowledge open Are they or are they not open? How do people make recommendations to the "fund"? What is the $$ value allocated to this fund? How is this better than what was done under the ALP as they still allocated funds to these same things (may not have been much, but something was done). Please give us an understanding as to how this will be better.
3. In state waters, no new marine parks, no new Green zones, no expansion of current Green zones. Please answer yes or no, does this mean that you agree with the "green zones" that were put in place by the ALP? By not having plans to change them, I would expect this means the answer will be "Yes we believe the ALP made good decisions by putting the current green zones in place".
4. Fairer Rec Fishing Access. While there was no election announcement to allow one line in Green zones, it is current LNP policy to allow one line in selected Green zones. I look forward to this policy being implemented in due course at the minister's initiative.
Is there an expected time frame for the new policy to be released? Or is this like the policy that was to be released before the last election?

I have found rec fishers to be generally happy with these points.

[Steeler]

Can somebody please tell Mark you can only vote once.

Seven times now he has voted, enough already

[Feral]

Newman has just sacked me and all other fishcare volunteers. Got my letter this morning.

Never been sacked from a volunteer job before, dunno how much he is going to save by sacking us either, perhaps he doesn't understand that being a volunteer meant we didn't get paid?
Perhaps to save the price renewing our bluecard every three years........

[Horse]

Its time for Can't Do to do something to back up the promises. So far he is busy tearing down everything rather than moving us foreward. Surely his fisheries minister is capable of implementing party policy without Noddy holding his hand. So far I have seen no improvement over Labor and big cuts in essential fishery support mechanisms. Time will tell but its not looking good folks

[BigE]

Know what your saying Finga, certainly not as good as what was spoken about before the election but I never thought the the LNP was going to be some rec-fishers white knight. But at least it didn't get worse.
Pretty sure we are a small dot on the rardar in the political scene so holding stats quo is probably as good as a win for the average keen fisho.

BigE

[PinHead]

To: Mark Robinson.

You spoke loud and hard prior to the election about how great the LNP will be for rec fishing...so how about your comments on the following:

"The activities that contribute to the savings include:
• ceasing the Fisheries Observer Program
• ceasing the Industry Development program for commercial and recreational fishing, and aquaculture
• ceasing the Fishcare Volunteer Program
• ceasing operational activity for waterway barrier works construction
• scaling back the freshwater fishing program - focus of activity will be on Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme, freshwater stocking policy, native fish scientific expertise and pest and noxious fish
• re-structure of the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol to build capacity and expertise in priority regional locations
• not providing funding for the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (a decision for this year only, with review in future years)
• the Marine Ecology Group (seagrass monitoring) transitioning across to James Cook University
• rationalisation of Brisbane-based senior management and support services."

taken from " http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/Forum/index.php/topic,4316.0.html".

I can sure feel that pineapple starting to ream.

[NAGG]

The reality was that fishing was never on the radar for the LNP ....... hence no policy prior to or post election - Ausfish members were made to believe it was because a wanna be minister joined the biggest fishing chat site in the state at the suggestion of another member / party faithful .......
surly everyone can see it clearly now .

Chris

[Horse]

It looks like over 80% of Ausfishers are not happy with what the LNP are doing at the moment. I hope Can't Do pulls his finger out soon and gets some runs on the board for rec fishos.

[Mike Delisser]

Today from the Freshwater Fishing & Stocking Association of Queensland


The Recreational Fishing Enhancement Program will no longer be funded. This means that all non SIP stocking groups will not be receiving any further fingerling grants.
The position of Recreational Fishing Manager is now dissolved.
There will no longer be any Freshwater Workshops conducted by Fisheries Queensland.
There will be no regional Fisheries extension officers employed, so there will be no service delivery and support to stocking groups.

[Andrew Susani]

Today from the Freshwater Fishing & Stocking Association of Queensland


The Recreational Fishing Enhancement Program will no longer be funded. This means that all non SIP stocking groups will not be receiving any further fingerling grants.
The position of Recreational Fishing Manager is now dissolved.
There will no longer be any Freshwater Workshops conducted by Fisheries Queensland.
There will be no regional Fisheries extension officers employed, so there will be no service delivery and support to stocking groups.

Jesus, these politicians must be pretty stupid to not understand the importance of these stocking programs and the huge $ return that it earns for the surrounding communities with all the anglers visiting these dams for weekends/competitions etc. Surely there is financial evidence of this?

Let us know if you need any assistance with anything locally Matt!

[PinHead]

Jesus, these politicians must be pretty stupid to not understand the importance of these stocking programs and the huge $ return that it earns for the surrounding communities with all the anglers visiting these dams for weekends/competitions etc. Surely there is financial evidence of this?

Let us know if you need any assistance with anything locally Matt!

you have to understand..it has nothing to do with people..it has everytrhing to do with cutting costs so that perhaps one day down the track some people can say they got the State out of debt..who cares how many lives and livelihoods were damaged along the way..that is irrelevant.

[Tangles]

Exactly Greg, its easy to cut, quite hard to build, honeymoon is over and i do wonder if fishos will remember in 2 1/2 years time,

[NAGG]

Exactly Greg, its easy to cut, quite hard to build, honeymoon is over and i do wonder if fishos will remember in 2 1/2 years time,

Go hard & go early ....... time is a great healer

Chris

[finga]

Exactly Greg, its easy to cut, quite hard to build, honeymoon is over and i do wonder if fishos will remember in 2 1/2 years time,

I just hope there is someone worthy of the job title on the scene by then.
Can-Do did not win. The other mob just lost. Can-Do are in only by default.

As a side note....what is Labor doing about all this?? They are still a political party aren't they??

Where's Timmi and Mark???

[Matty_M]

Very interesting post Matty M. I don't really understand how all the funding works for these programs, but I take it from your post that it did not directly cost the government coffers to build these fishways?

Then why would they think it was a good idea to cut these programs?

It seems to me like it was more to do with politics and ideology than common sense.

Either way, I'm not too interested in politics but I am interested in my fishing, and this just seems like a knee-jeck, backward decision from 30 years ago. Surely common sense, science and economics must all be on the same page here, fishways = fish migrating, fish growing and fish breeding = more rec. fish catches, more commercial fish catches and more $$$ generated through the economy all round.

The thing that disappoints me is that rec. fishers are not more outraged in short sighted decisions like this that affects them directly. If you think decisions like this are wrong, your have to make a noise about it!!

Cod king, your spot on.....the government provides $0 base funds to build fishways...funds usually come from Natural Resource Management groups through-out QLD.

Unfortunately i'm at a loss to answer your 2nd question about 'why would they think it was a good idea to cut these programs'?.

Fishways directly increase fisheries production and tourism (2 of the LNP's 4 pillars) and cost the government NO base funds...