This report comes from The Age, journalists are Josh Gordon and Tom Arup.

A REPORT on the government’s controversial grazing trial in the Alpine National Park has been ridiculed by environmentalists .

Critics said the report — which found ‘‘ large grazing areas with abundant food are preferred by cattle’ ’ and that fences can be useful to keep cattle out of sensitive areas — revealed nothing new.

They said the report on last summer’s trial, released without fanfare by the state government yesterday, represented an expensive and politically motivated exercise that has added no new knowledge about whether grazing cuts the risk of bushfires.

Victorian National Parks Association spokesman Phil Ingamells said the results ‘‘ must be a considerable embarrassment to the government’’ , showing the trial was a waste of time and money, with the effort better spent ridding the park of feral animals and weeds.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment report concluded that cattle damage is most visible in wet areas, that cattle don’t like steep areas occupied by unpalatable shrubs and that they prefer eating exotic grass species over native species.

The report, which will form the basis of a five-year trial, also says the DSE engaged a consultant who confirmed that the government’s choice of remote sites for the trial had made access difficult.

The Age revealed in July the state government had launched a second attempt to reintroduce cattle to the park, after last summer’s trial was derailed by a federal finding that it could represent a ‘‘ controlled action’ ’ under the Commonwealth environment law.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has promised to stop the trial by including almost all of Australia’s 500-odd national parks — the domain of state governments — under federal laws, giving him power to block new grazing, logging and mining projects in the parks.

Mr Burke has now promised the states a lengthy consultation process for the changes to all parks, but will pass a specific regulation to protect just the Alpine National Park in coming months to try to head off any grazing this summer.

Victorian Environment Minister Ryan Smith vowed last night to continue with the trial next summer.