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Electricity agency admits using herbicide in Kosciuszko national park

The following comes from the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers, journalist is Ben Cubby. March 30, 2012

THE state electricity agency TransGrid has admitted its contractors sprayed herbicide across a swathe of wilderness in the Kosciuszko National Park, scarring the landscape and killing thousands of alpine plants.

Patches along a 17-kilometre stretch of power line, amounting to about 20 hectares, were affected by the herbicide, and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage is investigating the electricity agency.

Contractors were undertaking ”routine vegetation management” on behalf of TransGrid along the route of the transmission line in rugged country between Khancoban and the Guthega ski fields last year, when an ad hoc decision was made to spray the area without approval.

In December, National Parks and Wildlife Service staff spotted what one described as a ”moonscape” of dead vegetation in some areas. TransGrid had not reported the herbicide use to government agencies.

It is not the first time TransGrid has been caught destroying vegetation in the area’s protected wilderness. In 2001, it was found to have mown down trees along cable routes in the Brindabella, Namadgi and Kosciuszko national parks, and was eventually fined $130,000.

This week the electricity agency said it had approval to clear some vegetation from around the power line but conceded herbicide should not have been used.

”TransGrid acknowledges … its contractor undertook vegetation management using a method which was not approved under the specifications of the [environmental impact assessment],” a spokeswoman said.

”TransGrid has investigated the incident and is working closely with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to implement a specific and targeted rehabilitation plan.”

The agency said about 2 per cent of the area, which forms a corridor about 17 kilometres long and 60 metres wide, was affected. No threatened species of plant or animal was affected, it said.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service said it was contemplating further action.

”NPWS considers vegetation damage of this type to be a serious potential breach of the National Parks and Wildlife Act and regulations,” said the regional manager, Dave Darlington.

”NPWS asked TransGrid for a comprehensive report into the incident and for their remediation proposals … the report forms part of the investigation by NPWS into the Transgrid incident and that investigation is ongoing.”

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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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‘Environment minister keen to see chalet plans’

The following comes from the Bright Observer.

Journalist: EBONY D’ARCY

A BID to breathe new life into the Mt Buffalo Chalet continued last week with members of the Mt Buffalo Community Enterprise group meeting with the state environment minister.

Bill Sykes (MLA, Benalla) led a deputation made up of enterprise chair John Brown and directors Mark McKenzie-McHarg and Cameron McKern to visit Environment Minister Ryan Smith at Parliament House on Thursday.

The visit was part of the group’s bid to rejuvenate the 100-year-old building, which has been lying idle for more than three years.

The meeting was an opportunity for the group members to meet Mr Smith and familiarise him with their case.

Mr Sykes said the minister agreed that “something needs to be done”.

“The minister requested that once the group has their presentation ready for Parks Victoria, they also present it to him and Minister for Tourism Louise Asher,” he said.

“He was keen to see what the group comes up with.”

The group has until the end of May to develop a comprehensive project plan for presentation to Parks Victoria, which will include solutions for issues with energy and power supply on the mountain.

The aim is to have the go-ahead by September, which will allow detailed architectural planning, applications and governmental negotiations to begin.

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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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Tourism facilities in national parks could kill the ‘golden goose’

A release from the Victorian National Parks Association on a recent proposal to open up national parks for private tourism facilities.

MEDIA RELEASE – Tuesday, 8 March 2011

Tourism facilities in national parks could kill the ‘golden goose’

Mount Hotham

The Victorian National Parks Association says a recommendation by the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission, to open up national parks for private tourism facilities, is simplistic and would be a dangerous new direction for park management.

“National Parks are becoming a victim of their own success. They are popular and much loved, but now private companies want a piece of the action in a public asset designed to protect nature for the future”.

“There is a danger of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. People visit national parks for an experience they can’t get elsewhere – they want the opportunity to experience the natural world.    There is ample opportunity for tourism infrastructure adjacent to parks, where financially viable developments can take place without the more onerous conditions necessarily imposed on infrastructure inside parks.

The VCEC recommendations contradict Victoria’s current, and widely respected, Nature Based Tourism Strategy, which states that “Private investment into any new large scale facility, particularly accommodation other than adaptive re-use of existing infrastructure, should be sited outside the park”.

“There is a lot of tourism potential on private land adjacent to our national parks which allows for certainty of investment, particularly in and around regional towns,” said Mr Ruchel.

“The VCEC draft report fails to appreciate the public land tenure system and its landscape context. Over 60% of Victorian land is privately owned and 80-90% of that has already been cleared. National parks and conservation reserves make up only approx about 18% of the land in Victoria, and are a refuge for plants and animals in a state with relatively little intact native habitat left.”

“The State Government must rule out new major infrastructure in national parks and re-commit to the principles outlined in Victoria’s existing Nature Based Tourism Strategy.”

“The change we need in national park management is a solid commitment to managing our unique natural heritage for all Victoria’s and future generations” he concluded.

For further comment contact:
Matt Ruchel: 0418-357-813
Phil Ingamells: 0427 705 133

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Why cattle will never again roam free in the Victorian high country

Summer storm on the Bogong High Plains, VIC.

An opinion piece by Phil Ingamells of the Victorian National Parks Association about the Victorian Coalition’s promise to return cattle grazing to Victoria’s high country.

He suggests that the Coalition seems to be playing politics with the cattlemen, promising to bring them back to the high country, even though they must know it can’t actually happen.

The article is available here.

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