Mountain Journal

The following comes from ABC Gippsland.

The Victorian Government wants to continue the trial to see if it reduces the bushfire fuel load.

The Victorian Government has asked the Federal Court to review the decision by the Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke, to ban alpine cattle grazing.

The State Government wants to continue with a trial of grazing in the Alpine National Park to reduce bushfire fuel load.

Earlier this month, Mr Burke stopped the trial, saying it would damage the park’s heritage values.

Victorian Environment Minister, Ryan Smith, says he wants the decision tested in the Federal Court. Victorian Environment Minister, Ryan Smith, says he wants the decision tested in the Federal Court.

The Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) has described the challenge as a waste of time and money.

Phil Ingamels from the VNPA says the State Government still has not come up with a design for the grazing experiment.

“They’ve never answered the question why this can’t be done outside the national park, where, if they had a design, if there was a good reason to do it it, could easily be done outside the national park,” he said.

“The whole thing is just getting sillier and sillier.”