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Mountain Cattlemens disendorsement a good thing for MP?

Image: National Trust
Image: National Trust

The Australian Electoral Commission has just declared the outcome for the Federal Seat of McEwen, in central eastern Victoria.

During the election campaign, the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association came out against the sitting Member, Rob Mitchell, because he opposed cattle grazing in the Alps.

In response, Mr Mitchell said:

“The Mountain Cattlemens Association of Victoria is a small group of people who have historically enjoyed something that few Australians have – free access to public assets to help build their wealth.”

“While we respect and admire their history and their traditions, it’s no longer possible to allow such a small group – mostly wealthy beef producers – to continue grazing cattle in areas that belong to the public, current and future generations.”

Mr Mitchell said there were many “intelligent, rational” reasons to keep cattle out of sensitive alpine ecosystems and noted NSW had decided to stop mountain cattle grazing in the late 1960s.

The Victorian Coalition is in thrall to the mountain cattlemen (as shown recently by them creating an advisory group on the Alpine Park stacked with grazing and pro-grazing interests). The state government was widely criticised for putting its political allegiance with the cattlemen ahead of good policy development in crafting its ‘fuel reduction’ grazing program, which was subsequently stopped after intervention by the federal government . As was reported in The Age, the government pushed ahead with its controversial grazing trial despite being told by Parks Victoria that no “scientific, social or economic evidence existed to support it”.

It would be worth the state government taking note of the fact that in spite of a nation wide swing against the ALP in the election, pro-grazing views within the electorate were not able to affect Mr Mitchell.

 

In an interesting side note, Victorian Liberal MP Donna Petrovich had resigned from state Parliament to stand against Rob Mitchell in the September election. She holds a regressive position on a range of climate related issues, including supporting continued use of coal and opposing wind energy.

On wind

In Hansard, Ms Petrovich raises various issues about what she sees as the ‘problems’ with wind energy: issues of reliability of wind, health risks, visual impacts.

Ms Petrovich is concerned that the previous government did not consult with the community over wind farm policy (yet she consistently refused to say who the Coalition consulted with in framing their policy).

She says that the No Go zones that block wind energy from much of the state were ‘carefully’ selected where communities ‘on the whole have told us that they are not appreciative of wind farms’. In the same speech she only mentioned anti-wind groups as being the groups she had worked with in forming her opinion rather than the broader community.

She endorses the Coalition’s anti wind policy VC82: ‘The position the government has come to is one that I am proud of.’ (Hansard, 12/10/11).

On coal she says:

“The Coalition looks towards the effectiveness and abundance of brown coal as a means to provide a reliable source of energy for Victorians”. (Hansard October 11, 2011).

 

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Is alpine grazing back on the agenda?

Shortly after the election of the Coalition to power, the Mountain Cattleman’s Association of Victoria (September 17, 2013) issued a call for the new Federal government to overturn the current ban on grazing in the Alpine Park in Victoria.

Cattle-dont-belong-in-national-parks-their-National-ParksIn response, a spokesperson for Gippsland MHR Darren Chester said the federal government would “look at the issue should the state government put it forward”.

“Darren is still fully supportive (of cattle grazing) and we would be happy to take it to the party room if and when it happens.”

Such an action would be consistent with Mr Abbott’s intention to get rid of ‘green tape’ (ie, environmental protections), thereby removing the federal government from involvement in most key environmental decision making processes. It was only intervention by the previous Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, that saw the removal of the cattle after they were introduced by the Victorian government.

If this troubles you, please contact the new Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, making it clear you would not support such a move.

E: greg.hunt.mp@aph.gov.au

Website: www.greghunt.com.au

Twitter: https://twitter.com/greghuntmp

Possible tweet:

Congratulations to new Enviro Minister @GregHuntMP Darren Chester says Gov will look at ending grazing ban. No cattle in the Alpine Park.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greg.hunt.mp

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Pro-cattle grazing members dominate alpine committee

Now here’s a surprise, the state government has stacked the new Alpine Advisory Committee dominated with pro-cattle-grazing members. 

Published by the Victorian National Parks Association, August 2013

Image: VNPA
Image: VNPA

Victoria’s environment minister Ryan Smith has appointed a new Alpine Advisory Committee dominated by pro-cattle-grazing members, including MLC for Eastern Victoria and vocal cattlemen supporter Phil Davis MP.

The committee’s task is to review the long-running Alpine National Park draft management plan, which has yet to be released for public comment.

Some commentators see this as the first step towards a bid to try once again to reintroduce cattle grazing to the park, particularly if there is a change of government federally.

A representative of the Prospectors and Miners Association is also included.

The environment minister seems to have mistakenly signed off on the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association Christmas card list, instead of appointing an independent advisory committee.

No nature conservation groups are represented.

Who is on the commitee?

Chair: Ewan Waller.
Members: Philip Davis, David Packham, Peter Attiwill, Russell Mullett, Ronald Moon, Walter Wright, Mervyn McGuire, Geoffrey Burrowes, Stephen Dingwall, Andrew Dwyer, Christopher Commins, Christa Treasure, Trudy Anderson and Peter Roper.

 

The following information comes from the Weekly Times and highlights the heavy weighting towards grazing and other extractive interests.

The committee is being chaired by former Department of Sustainability fire chief Ewan Waller who revealed its scope allows them to give advice on forest and crown land in the high country as well as national parks.

Members include two former Mountain Cattlemen’s Association presidents Ensay’s Chris Commins and Glenaladale’s Christa Treasure and another MCAV member Neville Wright of Bobinwarrah plus Alpine Shire Mayor and Tawonga producer Peter Roper, and Trudy Anderson of Benambra.

Also appointed were retired CSIRO scientist and former forest chief David Packham along with retired forest ecologist Peter Attiwill, both known advocates for greater planned burning.

The Man from Snowy River film producer and Mansfield farmer Geoffrey Burrowes has also been selected and the tourism industry is represented by Andrew Dwyer of Jamieson and outback adventurer Ronald Moon.

Other members are Eastern Region MLA Philip Davis, Prospectors and Miners Association representative Stephen Dingwall, recreational fishing advocate Mervyn McGuire, indigenous consultants Russell Mullett.

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Vic Govt told to reveal cattle grazing documents

This story comes from the ABC. Journalist is Gus Goswell.

Image: VNPA

The Victorian Government has been ordered to hand over internal documents relating to its alpine cattle grazing trial.

The controversial trial in the Alpine National Park was blocked by the Federal Government but the State Government has launched an appeal.

It says the trial was designed to reduce the bushfire risk, based on scientific evidence.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has ordered that Department of Sustainability and Environment emails and scientific documents be made public.

The Environment Defenders Office applied for the documents on behalf of the Victorian National Parks Association.

Lawyer Felicity Milner from the Environment Defenders Office says the VCAT order is significant.

“We’re concerned about the scientific basis for the alpine cattle grazing trial,” she said.

“Certainly we want to see the documents to apply scrutiny to that decision and see whether or not it could be said to be backed up by proper science.

“If it is not backed up by proper science then we will be attacking the Government’s decision.

“The cattle grazing trial, as I understand it, has not gone ahead because the Federal Government has said it is unacceptable but the State Government is challenging that decision in the Federal Court.

“Based on public statements from the Government and the department we are of the understanding at this stage that they intend to continue with the alpine grazing trial if they are legally allowed to.”

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has defended spending taxpayer dollars to try to stop the documents being released.

“The Government has taken a view about what material ought to be made public,” he said.

“You would expect the Government to reinforce the view it has about information and our understanding of the legislation.”

Mr Baillieu has not ruled out challenging the VCAT order.

“The Government will have a look at that judgment and we’ll make an assessment of it,” he said.

However, Mr Baillieu has confirmed the Government still wants to push ahead with the cattle grazing trial.

“We certainly maintain the view that the Commonwealth when it made its decisions didn’t do it on a basis that was thorough and comprehensive,” he said.

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Victoria seeks review of alpine grazing ban

The following comes from ABC Gippsland.

Image: The Age

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.”

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Will cattle grazing continue in Victoria’s Alpine National Park?

UPDATE: On tuesday January 31, Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke banned cattle grazing in the state’s Alpine National Park.

Mr Burke rejected the state government’s proposal to reintroduce 400 cattle into the park to graze for up to five months a year for five years.

He said his decision was based on departmental advice that cattle grazing would damage the pristine environment, rather than his own personal opposition to the proposal.

‘Mountain cattlemen ignore history in claiming their place in the Alps’. Maybe it’s time to remember some of the other voices of the mountains? Article available here.

The following comes from ABC Rural.

Image: VNPA

Cattlemen says it’s almost too late to put cattle into Victoria’s Alpine National Park this summer.

It’s been two weeks since Federal Minister for Environment, Tony Burke, was expected to make a decision on whether farmers can resume a cattle grazing trial in the Park.

Mark Coleman, president of the Mountain Cattleman’s Association, says the situation has become too caught up in politics and Minister Burke needs to make a decision.

“I believe that the fate of that alpine area rests at his feet and next time we do get a major holocaust through there where our complete ecosystems are completely wiped out from these super hot fires.

“I just hope he’ll be accountable for that till the day he dies.”

Personally I love the statement from the MCAV that “the situation has become too caught up in politics”. Its been about politics from day 1, and the MCAV were quite happy to ‘secretly’ put cattle back in the Park and be involved in ‘politics’ when it suited them. Yet suddenly they’re concerned about politics coming into play – sounds like a case of the ‘Pot calling the Kettle Black’.

Article: Another reminder that alpine grazing is just about politics.

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Federal Government gets power to ban alpine cattle grazing

Image: ABC

This story by Mary Goode comes from the ABC.

The Federal Government has introduced a regulation under national law that overrides the Victorian Government on Alpine cattle grazing.

Environment Minister Tony Burke today annunced that the new regulation under the Commonwealth’s Environment Protection and Biodverisity Act means that the Gillard Labor Government now has power to stop the Baillieu Liberal Government from introducing cattle into Victoria’s Alpine National Park without proper scrutiny.

“The Baillieu Government was wrong to reintroduce cattle to the Alpine National Park and has set a dangerous precedent for the management of national parks across Australia,” Mr Burke said.

“This whole debacle has been another reminder that when the Liberals win, the environment loses.”

Mr Burke says he is also consulting with state and territory governments on a proposed new regulation which would give extra protection to national parks across Australia.

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Green groups ridicule Alpine grazing report

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.

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another reminder that Alpine grazing ‘trial’ is just about politics

Once again, the media is reporting further evidence that the controversial alpine grazing re-introduced to Victoria’s alpine national park early this year has very little to do with scientific research and a lot to do with grubby politics.

The following article comes from The Age, the journalist is Melissa Fyfe.

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Vic minister vows to continue alpine grazing trial

Ryan Smith says the trial will continue but they are still working on the details.

Snow gums, Mt Stirling

The Victorian Government has decided to return cattle grazing to the Alpine National Park next season, despite telling the Federal Government that they had no definite timetable for grazing trials to continue.

In January, 400 cattle were released into the park as part of a trial by the Victorian Government, to determine if grazing reduces the risk of bushfire.

However the trial did not have Commonwealth approval.

The Federal Environment Minister, Tony Burke, has ordered the cattle out of the park.

However today, the Victorian Environment Minister, Ryan Smith, told ABC Local Radio the trial will continue.

“We just haven’t put together the details of how it will go forward. We’re taking a careful approach, we’re using the data collected over the last few months to inform the next stage,” he said.

“We also want to be very open and transparent so that when the plan is put together, when Professor [Mark] Adams is advising us on it, there will be a panel overseeing that, who can ask the questions that perhaps need to be asked.”

This article comes from the ABC.

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Victorian Government told to get cattle out of National Park

Today’s statement by Tony Burke MP, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

Victorian Government told to get cattle out of National Park

Environment Minister Tony Burke today demanded the reintroduction of cattle in the Alpine National Park undergo a full and public assessment under national environmental law.

Mr Burke said after considering advice from his department, he had determined cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park satisfied the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act requirement that it “may be” a controlled action.

Mr Burke said as outlined under federal law, the Victorian Government now had 15 business days –   until April 8 – to refer its current cattle grazing actions for Commonwealth decision or he would force a referral.

Under the EPBC Act, a referral by the Victorian Government following this request or a forced referral by the Minister means cattle will need to be removed from the Alpine National Park until a decision is made by the Minister.

“The Victorian Government was wrong to reintroduce cattle to the Alpine National Park and I have now determined that it needs to be fully scrutinised under national environmental law,” Mr Burke said.

“It is extraordinary how little information the Victorian Government has provided.

“The referral will allow me to determine whether the impacts of cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park have a significant impact on matters protected under national environmental law.

“The Victorian Government has 15 business days to refer the actions to the Commonwealth for decision or I will force the referral.

“Until I have made a decision on the referral, the cattle grazing actions must stop and cattle will need to be removed from the Alpine National Park.

“Cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park is setting a dangerous precedent for the management of national parks across Australia. Victoria can’t expect us to wait around while cattle are stomping over endangered wetlands.”

When the Victorian Government reintroduced cattle to the Alpine National Park, it did not refer the action for consideration under national environmental law.

Since that time, the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC) has been meeting with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment and requesting the information on which the decision to not refer the action was based.

On March 1 the Commonwealth set Victoria a two week deadline to provide all relevant information about the reintroduction of cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park by March 15, 2011.

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Stop alpine grazing – it’s a park not a paddock!

Image: VNPA

PUBLIC FORUM, April 6

The Baillieu Government has reintroduced grazing to Victoria’s Alpine National Park under the guise of a flawed science project.

Cattle were banned from the park in 2005, now they are back – damaging threatened species, trampling wetlands and spreading weeds.

While this may benefit a few cattlemen it comes at great cost to Victoria’s natural heritage. National parks are for nature, not cattle.

There will be speakers from Environment groups, scientists, politicians and others.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 6, 2011. Doors open 6.30pm, for a 7pm start.

WHERE: Box Hill Town Hall.

Full details here.

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