Member for Wollongong Paul Scully has today called on the Baird Government to defer the commercial fishing buyout deadline set for 2 December until after a Parliamentary Committee inquiry has done its work.

A Legislative Council Committee established last week will examine the assumptions and modelling of the Government’s commercial fishing restructure as well as potential economic and social impacts on the industry and coastal communities.

Hundreds of small businesses and thousands of jobs are under threat from the Government’s commercial fishing restructure with many fishers still not knowing how the preview share trading trial will actually work.

Many commercial fishers, including in the Illawarra, will be forced to make a hard decision in less than 10 days – either to continue on with their businesses or hand in parts of their business as part of the Government’s buyout offer.

The Baird Government should allow the Parliamentary Committee to complete its work and defer the current commercial fishing buyout deadline.

Comments attributable to Paul Scully MP:

“The Government’s package as it stands will sink the small businesses of a number of commercial fishers, including Mr Paul Heron, on Lake Illawarra.

“There is now a Parliamentary Committee inquiry underway and commercial fishers should be given the opportunity to present their evidence.

“The Government should defer the deadline for the fishing buyout until the inquiry has done its work and reports its findings.”