Jobs slashed at Ellinbank
Ellinbank’s Agriculture Victoria research has been hit by job cuts, but the impact is unknown.
The Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions has confirmed 100 Agriculture Victoria staff across the state have taken voluntary redundancies.
But, the department has not revealed how many staff will be lost at the Ellinbank facility and has not provided a breakdown of where staff will be lost at facilities across the state.
When The Gazette asked how the restructure had affected the Ellinbank facility, a department communications spokesperson said the process had been “totally voluntary...so we have to protect their privacy of where they have come from.”
In the department’s first restructure since 2019, more than 174 voluntary early retirement packages were accepted across DJPR, of which 100 have been slashed from Agriculture Victoria.
The only official statement to The Gazette was that as part of the 2021-22 budget, all departments were asked to implement a range of cost saving measures.
The department said staff departures were being staggered to ensure Agriculture Victoria “continued to deliver high quality services” across the state.
“We will always support our farmers and communities and our high-quality on-ground services will continue as the voluntary packages are rolled out, with more staff in Agriculture Victoria in 2022 than there were four years ago.
“We are investing more money than ever before in rural and regional Victoria - almost $30 billion since 2015, which is four times more than the previous Liberal National government,” the statement said.
But the response has not sat well with Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood who said it was yet another blow for regional Victoria.
“It’s another indication the Labor government has no understanding or appreciation of how this will impact on regional Victoria, particularly the food and fibre sector.
“I have been battling for 15 years about weeds in the Strzeleckis and trying to get some action. They removed compliance officers who were able to make some difference and now it’s a massive problems.
“This is another blow that will affect more services,” he said.
Mr Blackwood said it was frustrating the government had not revealed any data associated with the job cuts, meaning there was no understanding whether staff at Ellinabnk were researchers, scientists, farm staff, senior management or office staff - “there is no information.”
He said the Liberal Nationals would lodge a question on notice in parliament this week demanding Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas to release the data.
“We are determined to support our farmers and we will have good policy announcements coming up soon on how we can get these people back in the field and supporting farmers,” Mr Blackwood said.
The Nationals leader Peter Walsh last week criticised the job cuts at a time when the $17.8 billion food and fibre sector was crucial for the recovery of Victoria’s economy.
“Agriculture Victoria already suffered from under-resourcing, but with even fewer jobs it means less people on the ground to deliver crucial research and development initiatives that could boost our farmer’s profitability and sustainability.
“More job losses targeting the people who support our food and fibre sector show Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas is no champion for Victorian farmers or agriculture,” he said. “These job cuts couldn’t come at a worse time.”
Mr Walsh said last week’s reports the agriculture department would shed 145 senior and experienced staff followed the loss of a further 47 jobs late last year, largely in the soils research team, which the department labelled as “surplus to requirements”.
“The fact that Agriculture Victoria has been targeted shows the disdain the State Labor Government has for regional Victoria and farmers in particular,” Mr Walsh said.