Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria Bill Passes

The Victorian Parliament has passed the Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria legislation, establishing a new statutory authority for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation in Victoria. The decision brings to a close nearly two years of development and consultation and opens an important new chapter for hunters and the wider outdoor recreation community.

The Bill completed its passage through Parliament on 13 August 2026, when the Legislative Assembly agreed to amendments made by the Legislative Council. Once the remaining formal steps are completed, the Game Management Authority and Victorian Fisheries Authority will come together within a new body called Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria.

The Australian Deer Association’s preference throughout the development of the legislation was for the original name, Outdoor Recreation Victoria. We believed that name captured the ambition of bringing people together under a shared outdoor recreation identity, with hunting recognised confidently alongside fishing, camping, four-wheel driving, bushwalking, trail-bike riding, horse riding and the many other ways Victorians enjoy the outdoors.

Parliament ultimately chose a different approach. By adopting the name Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria, it has sought to promote hunting and fishing through the authority’s public identity as well as through its legislated functions. Although it was not the ADA’s preferred title, the intent is clear: hunting and fishing are to remain visible and important parts of the new authority as its responsibilities extend across the wider outdoor recreation community.

That broader purpose is reinforced by amendments expressly recognising motorised and non-motorised recreation, recreational motorcycling and trail-bike riding, prospecting and fossicking, and horse riding and equestrian activities. Other activities may also be prescribed in the future. This reflects the diversity of the outdoor community and the reality that, while each activity has its own needs, many of us share the same interests in access, infrastructure, responsible participation and sensible public-land management.

Other amendments made during the parliamentary process strengthen the way the new authority will make and explain its decisions. The Bill now provides greater detail about the information that may be considered, including scientific research, regional data, stakeholder knowledge and practical on-ground evidence such as observations, incident reports, field assessments and operational experience.

This matters to hunters because sound wildlife and land-management decisions need to reflect both credible science and an informed understanding of local conditions. People who spend time in the field possess valuable knowledge of landscapes, wildlife populations, access conditions and the practical effects of management decisions. The amended framework gives that knowledge a clearer place alongside formal research and data.

The legislation also creates a stronger expectation of transparency. Information about consultation processes is to be published where practicable, giving stakeholders a better opportunity to understand how engagement has taken place and how decisions have been developed. The effectiveness of this provision will depend on the culture and practices of the new authority, but its inclusion provides an important foundation for open and accountable relationships.

Access remains central to the reform. The Land Access Panel proposed in the original Bill will become the Land and Aquatic Access Panel, reflecting the importance of access across public land, waterways and marine environments. The Panel will be able to request information from public land and water managers and receive a written response. Where possible, a majority of its members must be drawn from representative bodies, giving people with practical experience an opportunity to contribute directly to its work.

The Panel will not replace land managers or make unilateral decisions about where particular activities can occur. Its value will lie in creating an enduring forum where barriers can be identified, restrictions examined and opportunities for better access brought to the attention of government. For the Panel to succeed, it will need to be practical, representative and willing to engage constructively with the full range of people who use and manage Victoria’s public places.

There will also be greater accountability through annual reporting. Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria will be required to report on the number of authorised officers it has appointed and on matters that have reduced access to public land for outdoor recreation. This should help build a clearer picture of both the authority’s regulatory capability and the cumulative effect of access decisions across the state.

The ADA worked closely and constructively with the Victorian Government on this project for close to two years. We approached that work with a simple objective: to help create an organisation capable of delivering better outcomes for hunting, wildlife management, public access and outdoor recreation over the long term.

Our involvement extended beyond responding to a finished proposal. We contributed to the development of the concept and worked through questions about the authority’s structure, functions and practical operation. The ADA will always be able to look back on this reform knowing that it helped create the foundation on which Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria will be built.

But the opportunity created by this legislation belongs to a much wider community.

It belongs to hunters and anglers, four-wheel drivers and campers, trail-bike riders, prospectors, horse riders, bushwalkers, boaters and everyone who values responsible access to Victoria’s outdoors. It also belongs to land and water managers, Traditional Owners, regional communities, industry organisations and the many volunteers who contribute their time and knowledge to looking after the places we share.

For this reform to succeed, it must be embraced across that community. Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria should not become a collection of competing interests seeking advantage over one another. Its potential lies in recognising where our interests align and creating a more coordinated, informed and constructive relationship between outdoor participants and government.

Although the Bill has passed Parliament, the new arrangements do not begin immediately. The next step is Royal Assent, after which the Bill will become an Act. Its substantive provisions will commence on a date proclaimed by the Governor in Council.

The government originally intended the authority to begin operating on 1 July 2026, but that date passed while the Bill remained before Parliament. At the time of writing, a replacement commencement date had not been announced. Until commencement, the Game Management Authority and Victorian Fisheries Authority will continue to operate under the existing arrangements.

The coming transition will involve appointing the new Board and interim chief executive officer, establishing the Land and Aquatic Access Panel and transferring staff, responsibilities, property and operations from the existing authorities. Licensing, compliance and other regulatory functions will continue through that process. Hunters should not expect the passage of the Bill, by itself, to produce immediate changes to game licences, seasons, permitted hunting areas or their day-to-day obligations.

Passing legislation is only the beginning. The success of the new authority will depend on the people appointed to lead it, the culture they establish and their willingness to listen to those with knowledge and experience. It will also depend on whether the promise of better coordination and improved access produces practical and measurable results.

The ADA will remain closely involved throughout implementation. We will continue to support strong game-management capability, evidence-based decisions, meaningful consultation, the protection and improvement of hunting access, and proper recognition of the conservation, social and economic contribution made by responsible hunters.

We will do so as one of the organisations that helped create this reform, but also as part of a much larger community whose support will determine its future.

Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Victoria represents a significant change in the way government engages with people who enjoy and depend upon the outdoors. If the new authority remains true to its purpose and is embraced in the same constructive spirit in which it was developed, it has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for outdoor recreation, wildlife management, regional communities and the places all Victorians value.