Outdoor Recreation Victoria Bill passes Legislative Council

The Victorian Government's proposed Outdoor Recreation Victoria (ORV) Bill 2026 has passed the Legislative Council with amendments and will now return to the Legislative Assembly. If passed, the legislation will merge the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and the Game Management Authority (GMA) into a new statutory authority, Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor Recreation Victoria, bringing together the management and promotion of recreational fishing, hunting and other outdoor activities under a single organisation. The reform aims to streamline administration, improve access to public land and waterways through a new Land Access Panel, encourage greater participation in outdoor recreation, and support regional economies. Recreational fishing and boating currently contribute $5.82 billion to Victoria's economy and support around 56,000 jobs. BIAV is very pleased to note that assurance has been provided that, with this change, Better Boating Victoria will remain in force, continuing its priorities to make boating better. Likewise, the Better Boating Fund will not be affected, and all fees from registration and licence will continue to flow to the fund, for appropriate usage on recreational boating priorities.  BIAV will continue to monitor the progress of the legislation and keep members informed of any developments relevant to the boating industry. The full article and debate are available here.