A last ditch plea from unions to scrap proposed laws that crack down on Victorian logging site protests has fallen on deaf ears.
The Sustainable Forests Timber Amendment (Timber Harvesting Safety Zones) Bill 2022 is set to be debated in Victoria's upper house, and potentially put to a vote, on Thursday evening.
Under the legislation, the maximum jail sentence and fines for hindering, obstructing or interfering with timber harvesting operations would be upped to 12 months and more than $21,000.
Other existing rules would be strengthened inside timber harvesting safety zones, small and restricted areas where trees are logged.
Often used in protest activities, PVC and metal pipes would be added to the prohibited items list and authorised officers given additional powers to search containers, bags and vehicles as well as issue "banning notices" to repeat offenders.
The Victorian branches of the Maritime Union of Australia, the United Workers Union and Australian Services Union wrote to the state government on Tuesday in an 11th hour bid to withdraw the "undemocratic" bill.
"The bill wrongly locates workplace risk in the democratic right to protest," reads the letter to Premier Daniel Andrews, Agriculture Minister Gayle Tierney and Workplace Safety Minister Ingrid Stitt.
"Any stripping away of the right to protest eventually finds its way to further limiting workplace action. Already Australia has some of the most restrictive laws around industrial action in the world.
"In the context of a climate crisis, the right to protest must be advanced not diminished."
Mr Andrews said he hasn't seen the letter but is aware of it, and insists the bill strikes the "right balance" between the right to protest and worker safety.
"Some of these work sites ... are potentially very, very dangerous places. They need to be regulated, they need to be safe," he told reporters ahead of the upper house debate.
The changes are based on feedback from workers, many of whom are union members, Mr Andrews added.
Victorian Greens Leader Samantha Ratnam said it was grim day for Victoria's native forests and democracy, saying she expected the major parties to join forces to pass the bill.
"This sets a worrying precedent for the right to protest in Victoria."
Despite repeated requests, Ms Ratman said Labor failed to provide any evidence of logging protesters threatening the safety of workers.
The fact a tragedy was yet to occur does not mean the state government shouldn't act to lessen its likelihood, Mr Andrews argued.
"I'm sure there's been near misses ... often these things can be very, very much on the edge."
