Cattle banned from Victoria's high country
abc.net.au
31 January 2012
Alpine grazing by cattle will be banned in the Victorian high country, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced.
The Victorian Government introduced about 400 cattle to the Alpine National Park in January last year to fulfil an election promise.
It was part of a six-year trial to see if grazing reduced bushfires.
But Mr Burke says the trial is "clearly unacceptable" under national environmental law and will not proceed.
The Federal Government ordered its Department of Environment to assess the environmental impact.
Mr Burke says he has accepted the advice from the department that allowing cattle in the park would breach federal law.
"The assessment has shown there is irrefutable evidence that cattle grazing would damage the sensitive natural environment, disturb the wild character of the area, detract from aesthetic values and erode its heritage values," Mr Burke said.
The State Government, however, is not ruling out a High Court challenge against the decision.
Environment Minister Ryan Smith says re-introducing alpine grazing was a key election commitment which the Government intends to keep.
"This is an election commitment. This Government is prepared to fulfil its election promises," he said.
"Promises by a government might seem an odd stance to take by Mr Burke; this Government is committed to fulfil its election commitments. We will do so."
Advice
Phil Ingamells of the Victorian National Parks Association (VPNA) says the decision is a victory for common sense.
"I hope we can really move on to really solid, evidence-based management of the alpine park in the future."
He says he hopes the State Government does not decide to challenge the decision.
"It's flogging a dead horse, really," he said.
"Cattle grazing has never survived an open independent science-based inquiry and it never will."
But the Mountain Cattlemen's Association says graziers have cared for the high country since the 1830s.
Association president Mark Coleman says the decision to stop the trial is based on flawed advice.
"Without their Green support they're not in power, so basically that's what all this is about," he said.
"It's not about the environment, it's not about grazing, and unfortunately we are the meat in the sandwich here and I feel that our Victorian country will suffer from this."