Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:51): (1317) My constituency question today is for Minister Horne in the other place. I have been contacted by the Mitcham Angling Club based in the City of Whitehorse regarding the lack of places to fish in their local community. They are seeing great demand for family fishing in the community, and they are forced to travel outside the region to host events and come-and-try days. Family fishing is needed and wanted in the community. I have also been informed that Blackburn Lake, with a very minor investment, could become a great place for the community to fish. So my question is: what can the government do to improve accessibility to fishing in the City of Whitehorse?
Constituent Question
Blackburn Lake Family Fishing
Answered: 21 September 2021 by Hon. Melissa Horne
The Victorian Government is committed to creating and enhancing a diverse array of recreational fishing opportunities across Victoria. This includes expanding access to urban, family fishing opportunities across metropolitan Melbourne. This builds on our commitment to improving fishing outcomes for both current and future generations of fishers evident in our stocking program and target of stocking 10 million fish.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) has recently been in contact with Whitehorse City Council to investigate ways to work collaboratively to improve recreational fishing access and opportunities within the City of Whitehorse, including Blackburn Lake. This could include stocking fish, holding community events, education and signage, as well as restoring habitat and vegetation to improve the overall natural and recreational values of the Lake.
I thank the Member for his question and commitment to supporting the work of the Victorian Government to create and improve fishing opportunities for the Victorian fishing community.
