Victorian Government scraps grazing trials in Alpine National Park

The Victorian Government has scrapped a trial that allowed grazing within the Alpine National Park and will legislate to ensure cattle cannot return to the area.

The newly elected Government, which promised to end the trial before the recent Victorian election, has stopped the second stage of the three-year trial from proceeding, meaning that 300 head of cattle won’t be moved into the Wonnangatta valley area in Victoria’s alpine region.

The first stage of the trial began in March under Victoria’s former Coalition Government and was approved by Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt.

The trial, in which an initial 57 head of cattle were placed in a designated area within the national park, was to test whether grazing could reduce the risk of bushfires.

Environmental groups were strongly opposed to the move, arguing that national parks should be for the preservation of nature rather than agriculture. Previous scientific studies have cast significant doubt over the theory that cattle can reduce fire risk by eating flammable vegetation.

Victoria’s previous Labor Government banned cattle grazing before a move by the last Coalition government to resume the practice was blocked by the former Gillard government in Canberra.

Victorian Environment Minister Lisa Neville told Guardian Australia that the new Government would close a loophole that allows ‘scientific’ trials of grazing in national parks.

Minister Neville stated “the issue of grazing and fire mitigation is one of the most studied land management areas, there has been report after report.

“They all clearly show that cattle have a significant impact upon the natural environment, they spread weeds, they damage water catchments and, most of all, they do nothing to prevent bushfires.

“Some of the scientific papers show that cattle could actually make the bushfire situation worse by damaging bogs and other water areas.

“So this trial was unnecessary and there are rare orchids and native vegetation up there, vegetation we are spending taxpayer money on, that was being undermined by the trial.”

Neville added that State and Federal Coalition Governments had been appeasing a small group of cattle-farming lobbyists.

With the former Victorian Government having promoted tourism developments in the State’s National Parks, Minister Nevilee said her next priority would be to prevent the development of a spa resort in the Point Nepean national park and to dismantle the former Government’s policy of granting 99-year leases for large tourism infrastructure within National Parks across the State.

The Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA), which launched legal action this year to stop the trial, welcomed the move.

VNPA Executive Director Matt Ruchel stated “from start to finish the latest ‘trials’ have been flawed and essentially about politics, not science.

“Over the past 100 years a great multitude of scientific studies and inquiries have ruled against domestic stock grazing in Australia’s alpine regions. Cattle threaten the survival of state and nationally listed rare species, spread weeds, cause erosion and damage our important water catchments.

“It has been clearly demonstrated that cattle grazing doesn’t reduce fire risk in the high country.”

7th November 2014 - VICTORIAN GOVERMENT MOVES AHEAD WITH HOT SPRINGS RESORT DEVELOPMENT IN PORT NEPEAN NATIONAL PARK

6th January 2013 - VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT LOSES ALPINE GRAZING APPEAL