There are fears that the recent announcement that more Victoria national park rangers jobs are to be axed will have a serious effect on the ‘national park experience’.
Parks Victoria will cut 60 full-time positions state-wide and is activating a voluntary departure package program A similar program in October 2012, which sought to cut 120 full-time positions, only attracted 66 employees, leaving the 60-position shortfall.
Parks Victoria chief executive Bill Jackson said the second round of cuts would “increase the field of eligible staff by including some ranger and field service officer employees”. He said “eligibility criteria” would mean there would be no loss or reduction in service delivery.
However, Community and Public Sector Union spokesman Julian Kennelly, told the Sunraysia Daily that senior and managerial positions had been exempted from the job cuts, meaning rangers and field service officers had been targeted.
“Rangers and field personnel manage a diverse estate covering more than four million hectares, about the size of Switzerland or 18% of Victoria,” he said. “Government cuts could see many of our pristine parks without staff and access to visitors restricted or closed permanently.”
Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber was equally alarmed.
“If we cut the number of park rangers, I predict more illegal rubbish dumping and shooting, arson and vandalism,” Mr Barber told the Geelong Advertiser. “Eventually, some popular areas could even be closed due to lack of maintenance and supervision … our parks contain our most precious ecological assets.”
Parks Victoria currently employs approximately 1100 staff at 100 national, state, marine and urban parks.
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