Pegasus report progress reporting

Completed

Other government agencies are responsible for implementation.

A new Game Licensing System is in development to cater for new Game Licence testing arrangements.  After undertaking a request for tender process, a contractor has been engaged and has commenced development of a new system, including e-learning and testing platforms.  GMA has also appointed a Senior Project Officer to manage the implementation of mandatory online knowledge testing for future Game Licence applicants. Regulatory change will need to occur to implement this.

Research into the extent of hunters’ knowledge of the hunting laws and good practice has been completed and will guide the development of a licence test and areas to target education efforts.

Completed

Requires regulatory change for full implementation. This is lead by DJPR.

The GMA engaged an external supplier to conduct market research into barriers and perceptions limiting participation in the current Shotgunning Education Program.  As a result, the GMA with the financial support of Sport and Recreation Victoria, has released an updated practical program titled Gamebird Hunting Essentials Masterclass.  This program was recently launched with associated marketing aimed at increasing voluntary participation.  The attendance cost for juniors to attend was also subsidised to encourage greater participation.

GMA is investigating the roll-out of workshops to better educate industry and increase capability of program trainers.

Mandatory attendance of hunters at field-based training/proficiency testing would require the introduction of new regulations.  This has been raised with DJPR for consideration in its remaking of the sunsetting Wildlife (Game) Regulations 2012.

Completed

Requires regulatory change for full implementation.  This is lead by DJPR.

The GMA explored the best way for members of the public to report complaints of alleged illegal hunting.  Complaints can now be received online through the GMA website and also by phone through the Customer Contact Centre.  All information will be entered into a new case management system which became operational in the 1^st quarter of this year.

All reports of illegal hunting are sent directly to the Director Compliance and Intelligence to consider the most appropriate response.  An Intake and Assessment Panel (IAP) has also been established to consider and assess all complaints provided to the GMA.  The IAP will review the material to provide preliminary guidance as to whether an investigation should be undertaken by the GMA into the possible offending conduct.

The GMA has responded to sightings of concentrations of rare and threatened species and coordinated counts to determine if any additional management action was required.  This is routine practice and will continue.

The GMA consults with hunting, conservation and animal welfare organisations over the arrangements for the forthcoming duck season and possible wetland closures.  The GMA has also consulted the RSPCA, Animals Australia and key duck hunting organisations over the development of advisory guidelines for the humane dispatch of downed waterfowl.

The GMA has developed and is implementing a stakeholder engagement strategy.

A Senior Communications Officer and Communications Manager have been appointed and a Facebook page and You Tube Channel are actively used to communicate with the public.  The GMA’s website has been redesigned, content revised, graphics improved and mobile device compatibility has been improved.  The updated website was released in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The GMA has developed and is implementing a program of increased in-field education presence aimed at interacting with the broader community and regulated stakeholders.  This includes attendance at expos and agricultural field days.  The GMA also attends local community group meetings, such as Landcare.

See 1.7. for details.

In addition, the GMA coordinates the RESPECT: Hunt Responsibly program in consultation with the hunting industry, hunting organisations and partner government agencies. This program identifies initiatives to encourage sustainable, safe and humane hunting.  A workshop with government agencies, hunting organisations and industry representatives was held in August 2019.  Annual workshops will be held.

A guide for the humane dispatch of downed birds has been developed following consultation with hunting and animal welfare stakeholders.  The guide and a summary fact sheet were released and published on the GMA website in October 2019.  The guide was mailed to all licensed duck hunters (approx. 26,000) in November 2019. A full length instructional video and two abridged videos focussing on the major techniques and a promotional video to complement the other educational materials were developed and released prior to the start of the 2020 duck  season.

The GMA has developed and is in the process of implementing a program to increase its in-field education presence aimed at interacting with the broader community and regulated stakeholders.

The GMA has met with Animals Australia and the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Region’s (DJPR) Prosecution Services on the merits and reporting needs for making formal complaints regarding alleged illegal hunting activities.  An IAP has been established to consider all complaints from members of the public.  The IAP will review the material to provide preliminary guidance as to whether an investigation should be undertaken by the GMA into the possible offending conduct.

A new Intelligence Case Management System (ICMS) has been procured and deployed in the 1^st quarter of 2020 to assist in logging, reviewing and reporting progress and outcomes of all matters, including providing updates/outcomes of matters to complainants. The case management system is currently being tested by GMA Authorised Officers.

The GMA Board has developed a five (5)-year Charter, including Vision and Purpose Statements, that explicitly describe the GMA as a Regulator.  A 2021 business plan based on the revised Charter has been prepared and approved by the Minister for Agriculture.  The business plan will be posted on the GMA website.

A review of the GMA’s structure has been conducted and a comprehensive restructure, including the establishing new regional offices, has been completed.  Recruitment for a number of roles as part of this restructure is nearing completion.

The GMA has restructured to separate the compliance and intelligence functions from strategy and research and stakeholder and hunting programs functions and appointed a Director to lead the Compliance and Intelligence Division.

Advice on the GMA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) has been sought and received from the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office. All SOP’s have been reviewed and have been updated and approved and are now available to all staff at a central electronic location.

Advice on the outcomes of compliance complaints has been implemented.  An Intelligence Case Management System has selected and is now in operation.  Public complaints are lodged through the Customer Contact Centre or the GMA website and all are reviewed by the Director Compliance and Intelligence for appropriate action (see 1.9).

A new Game Licensing System is currently under construction (see 1.2).

A new Game Licensing System is currently under construction (see1.2).

An Intelligence Case Management System for regulatory/compliance activities has been identified and selected (see 1.9).

Maps clearly identifying where hunting is permitted on Victoria have been developed and are available online at the GMA’s website. A phone application, More to Explore, showing where hunting can occur across Victoria has been released.

Research into establishing a baseline for the level of hunters’ understanding of hunting laws and good hunting practice has been completed.  Results will help to inform educational and training materials and the development of a Game Licence test.

The GMA has been restructured and a Director Compliance and Intelligence appointed (see 2.3).  The Director Compliance and Intelligence was recruited in part to increase the strategic skills for developing an annual compliance strategy.  A Compliance Strategy 2020-2025 and a Compliance and Enforcement Policy was approved by the Board at its December 2019 meeting.  The GMA’s website articulates GMA’s specific compliance and enforcement goals, priorities and plans. Specific performance measures for are being developed.

Significant work has been done in developing an annual compliance plan, which will guide compliance operations state-wide and also regionally.

See 2.4.

The purchase of intelligence services has been increased from 0.5FTE to 1 FTE.  An Intelligence Case Management System has been identified and selected and was deployed in the 1^st quarter of 2020.

The GMA coordinates the RESPECT: Hunt Responsibly program in consultation with the hunting industry, hunting organisations and partner government agencies.  This program identifies initiatives to encourage sustainable, safe and humane hunting. A workshop with government agencies, hunting organisations and industry representatives was held in August 2019 to develop a work program for the next 12-months.

The GMA has also developed a draft five-year Education Strategy which directs actions to increase compliance through behavioural change and increased knowledge and awareness.

Parks Victoria is working with hunting organisations and has identified two sites to pilot the co-management of State Game Reserves.

An Intelligence Case Management System has been identified and selected and the GMA’s purchase of intelligence services has increased from 0.5 FTE to 1 FTE.

A Compliance Strategy 2020-2025 has been approved by the GMA Board.  In addition, regional compliance plans for 2019-20 have been completed and plans for 2020-21 are in preparation.

Metrics for the effectiveness of compliance efforts are currently being developed.  A stakeholder sentiment survey is currently being scoped to measure the key stakeholders’ views of the effectiveness of the GMA in achieving its statutory responsibilities.  This survey will be conducted in the 2020-21 financial year.

GMA has provided advice to DJPR on this action. DJPR is coordinating the development of an accountability framework that recognises the role of all relevant government agencies in game hunting and game management.

Completed

DJPR is responsible for implementing this action.

The community is actively being encouraged to report any suspected illegal hunting activity through existing reporting channels (Customer Contact Centre, online through the GMA’s website, GMA Authorised Officers).

The GMA actively and regularly encourages the public to report illegal hunting through social media, media releases and the GMA’s website.

An IAP has been established to review such complaints and includes expertise on animal welfare, legal, compliance and prosecutions and meets weekly or as required to ensure complaints are assessed and, where appropriate, acted upon as expediently as possible.

Implemented

As part of its 2019 election commitments, the government has allocated an additional $1.5M per year recurrent to the GMA. This assisted to fund the restructure and the addition of new Game Officers, communications and research staff.

The restructure has been completed and recruitment for these roles is nearing completion.  The new structure and additional resources have already seen an improvement in the GMA’s capacity and capability to effectively regulate.

The GMA has developed a new five (5)-year Charter and the 2020-21 business plan has been approved by the Minister. New regulations, proposed testing arrangements and an improved approach to compliance (including systems and processes) and communications are aimed to improve hunter compliance.

As outlined above, the GMA is implementing an improved Compliance and Intelligence Division structure made up of a Director, Regional Compliance Team Leaders, Senior Game Officers and Game Officers. This structure allows the Director to focus more clearly on strategic management driven by gathered intelligence.  The number of on-ground compliance staff is being more than doubled.  The Director, Team Leaders and a number of compliance officer roles have been recruited. Recruitment is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.

An Intelligence Case Management System has been identified and selected to improve the management and tracking of all reported activities and the intelligence service has been increased from 0.5 FTE to 1 FTE.  SOPs have been reviewed and annual regional compliance plans have been prepared.

In addition, investment in compliance technologies is progressing.  For example, Team Leaders, Senior Game Officers and Game Officers have been issued with infield technology (Surface Pros / Body Worn Cameras etc.), which has greatly increased the regulatory tools for GMA staff and to influence behaviours, especially when footage is played before the Courts.

A Senior Communications Officer and Communications Manager have been appointed. A Research Principal has been appointed and commenced employment in early-January 2020.  New regulations have been introduced to require the immediate recovery of downed ducks and minimum salvage of at least all breast meat.  Later duck season opening weekend start times have being trialled and are currently under review by government.  Drone technology has been trialled.  Programs delivered by the GMA will focus on influencing hunters across the compliance spectrum, from prevention, monitoring and surveillance to enforcement.

Following recruitment of all compliance positions, staff will be required to undertake the appropriate training in both investigation and surveillance training. These skills will be maintained and updated over time.

An improved system to track and record fulfillment of training and refresher requirements is also being introduced.

All GMA Authorised Officers are required to have, as a minimum, a Certificate IV in Government (Investigations). One (1) course is currently half-way through being delivered and will be completed once current COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Land access arrangements, setting regulations and legislation and co-regulation are matters for other responsible agencies and not the GMA.  The GMA has engaged with the responsible agencies to provide advice on possible approaches.

GMA has restructured to provide greater focus on hunter education and skills development.  A new Game Licence Test and proficiency testing is being developed to ensure hunters have a minimum standard of competence and knowledge of hunting laws and good hunting practise.  A new Game Licensing System is under construction to accommodate the test. Social and web-based media will provide improved information and education aids to hunters to improve compliance and ensure safe and sustainable hunting.  GMA is delivering  field-based education events to better engage with hunters in the field and help them to comply with laws.  This also includes increasing an education presence at industry and outdoor retail stores.

Completed

Regulatory change and revised approaches to land management are reliant on other agencies.