Cattle can destroy a landscape. The Victorian Premier last week banned grazing in the Alpine National Park on the basis that:
Cattle:
* trample streambanks, springs and soaks
* damage and destroy fragile alpine mossbeds
* create bare ground, disturb soil and cause erosion
* pollute water
* are a significant threat to a number of rare and threatened plants and animals and plant communities
* reduce what should be spectacular wildflower displays
* spread weeds
* cover the landscape in cowpats and spoil the enjoyment of the area for visitors.
Incredibly the areas that have sustained this ‘degradation’ associated with grazing for about 170 years, are so ecologically important, that the Victorian Government will now seek World Heritage listing.
A key government report acknowledges that “Seasonal high country grazing is a long and ongoing tradition both within the park and in areas of the high country outside the park.”
The report suggests that this cultural heritage can be maintained and celebrated into the future in a variety of ways including “through books, poetry, films and festivals.”
Imagine the outcry if the Victorian Government proposed to “maintained and celebrated” mossbeds through books and festivals.
…………………………….
Some Background and a Question:
I was interested to learn that grazing in the High Country has been increasingly regulated since the 1940s including a ban on sheep and horses and burning-off, restrictions on the length of the grazing season, maximum stocking levels set, and grazing progressively removed from several areas including the highest peaks.
According to the same Victorian Government Fact Sheet, 47 percent of the Alpine National Park has been licensed for grazing.
But according to member for the Central Highlands, Hon. E.G. Stoney, speaking in the Victorian Parliament last Wednesday, “The announcement of the total removal of the cattle from the park breaks a legislated promise to have seven-year renewable licences. The promise was made by the Cain government in order that agreement could be reached to create the massive Alpine National Park, and that happened in 1989. Part of the agreement was that cattle were to be taken off the higher exposed peaks on the north Bogongs and the Bluff. The cattlemen sacrificed vast tracts of grazing land, with 10 families losing everything, which meant 90 per cent of the new park was closed to grazing back then. The Bracks government has broken the agreement; it has now taken the remaining 10 per cent of the land for cheap political gain.”
So up until now has grazing been allowed in 47 percent or 10 percent of the Alpine National Park?
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Cattle were permitted to continue grazing in Queensland’s Wet Tropics when it was World Heritage listed in 1988.
Recent announcements (despite its obligatory protection as World Heritage estate) that 39% of the area is being transformed from State Forest and Forest Reserve tenures to National Park, will significanty reduce permissable recreational and other uses.
Cattle have also been targetted for removal for reasons similar to Bracks’ announcement, despite 60,000 heavy, hard-hooved feral pigs trashing the integrity of the rainforest root-mat with impugnity.
Over the past ten years, millions of dollars have been allocated for land acquisition on neighbouring freehold portions to protect ecological values within the World Heritage estate.
The history of broken promises made by previous governments cannot be disregarded. High country cattle grazing on State forests under Bracks’ reassurances will undoubtedly be overturned by his successor and undoubtedly under the reshuffling of tenure within the proposed world heritage listing.
Neil, And I wonder how long before ‘they’ start working to convert the state forests to National Park and with this the exclusion of grazing from these areas.
Interestingly the mountain cattlemen have appealed to the Federal Government to have the Alpine National Park listed under the Heritage Act to allow grazing to continue.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell has started the procedure for an emergency listing. It is interesting that the Feds have decided to support the cattlemen against the state government.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1377958.htm
Jennifer, as someone who is committed to letting science resolve environmental questions, you seem to take a predictably ideological stand on most issues. There are no valid reasons (particularly scientific)why cattle grazing in alpine regions should occur. All the valid science in this argument falls on the side of banning the presence of cattle. The issue of high plains grazing, form the farmers perspective, is one of government ‘welfare’ for a greedy few.
Hi Patrick,
Not sure that I am for/against grazing in National parks. I have seen some compelling evidence against grazing in the Macquarie Marshes. But I don’t think the current ban in the High Country has been arrived at following an honest consideration of the issues.
Also, I don’t think science can resolve issues per se. But I would like to see a more evidence-based approach to the resolution of environmental issues generally and w.r.t grazing in National Parks.
Science can’t resolve issues because in the end competing interests need to be weighted against each other and then valued-judgements made.
I would be interested in your/a reasoned argument for the total exclusion of grazing in the Alpine National Park.
Also, can you tell me whether grazing has been permitted in 10 or 47% of the park?
Best,
Jennifer why should there be no grazing in a National Park?
How does grazing adversely impact the concept of ‘National Park’?
What exactly is a ‘National Park’?
If it is to be as pre Capt Cook, then let the aborigines burn and hunt and manage the place as they once did.
Is it to be pre Aborigine – no burn, no hunt, just “Pristine Wilderness”?
Maybe urban dwellers need to know that there is this area called Wilderness somewhere out there, a psychological escape route triggered by a nice photo on the calendar on the wall.
Grazing in National Parks should be mandatory, not only for the benifit of the tax payer but also for the ecological necessity the parks themselves crave. There would be plenty of capable stockmen willing to pay the government a lot of money for the right to tactically graze under strict guidlines. They would also in effect manage weeds and ferals at no cost to us and massively reduce the ability of fire to wipe out large areas in ‘superhot’ uncontrollable blazes. By using herbivores instead of fire you will promote the more palatable grasses and not promote the fire resistant scrubland that before you know it is creating another catastrophe. The next time someone feels the need to scream ‘lock it up’ I hope they first go and learn how a real effective bio-diverse ecology works. The sheep and cattle grazing are not the problem, its how we choose to graze them that can be.
with the protest against the decision to ban cattle from the national park on tomorrow, i suggest that we all call the organisers of the protest and tell them that we want the cattle to stop destroying this important part of our country. from their protest web site their details are
CONTACT PERSONS:
Rally logistics
Kersten 0418 331 465
Dave Stoney 0418 653 658
Horses
Charlie Lovick 03 5777 5715
Bruce McCormack 0427 752 886
MCAV Branch Key Contact People
Omeo – Chris Commins 0428 573 296
Dargo & Gippsland – David Treasure 03 5140 1235
Benambra – John Cook 03 5159 9276
Tom Groggin – Trevor Davis 02 6076 9510
North-East – Jack Hicks 0408 691 865
Mansfield – Bruce McCormack 0427 752 886
Overnight Camps (Berwick & Beveridge)
Bob 0402 658 012
Scott 0438 556 020
Media
Kim Stoney 0417 503 000
Chris Stoney 0417 503 528
http://www.algonet.se/~mattiasb/wwwboard//messages/1546.html complimentwhosewondered