Statement: Misinformation campaign continues on alpine cattle grazing

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

Statement

Today's claims by the Mountain Cattlemen's Association of Victoria regarding a recent visit to the Alpine National Park by federal environment minister Tony Burke, the media and the Victorian National Parks Association highlights the extent to which MCAV will go to mislead the public on alpine cattle grazing.

The cattlemen's association claims that pictures of vehicle ruts in a muddy 4WD track, taken by a Herald-Sun photographer, show damage caused by the VNPA.

This is untrue.

• The tracks we used on the trip through the Alpine National park are all public roads and open to 4WD vehicles.
• On the day concerned, the road was used not just by us, but by the Herald-Sun photographer, other journalists, the federal environment minister and department staff.
• The tracks were extensively damaged before we crossed them as a result of increased use from management vehicles and other traffic over the summer period.
• Since cattle have been re-introduced into the Alpine National Park, Parks Victoria has been instructed to carry our regular inspections of cattle grazing. Department of Sustainability and Environment vehicles and, we assume, cattle graziers' vehicles have also used the tracks to inspect stock and 'research' sites.
• Media interest in the issue has been intense due to the secretive nature of the reintroduction of cattle grazing by the Victorian Government, and the illegitimacy of the so called 'scientific' study. This has generated much interest with media outlets and others, contributing to increased road traffic.
• The poorly maintained public road is ultimately a park management issue. The extensive funds being used for the alpine cattle grazing 'trial' would be better used on this and other areas of park management.