Cows in rivers a legal and health risk
By Nick Roberts,
Riparian Land Project
The Brumby Government could face legal action if it fails to act on two recent reports detailing how its 'cows in rivers' policy poses serious risks to human health. The first report, Crown Frontage Grazing Licences, Water Quality and Human Health - an analysis of legal obligations and risks, commissioned by the VNPA and prepared by the Environment Defenders Office (EDO), shows how the policy of allowing farmers to graze their cattle along riverbanks and streams contributes to poor water quality and can affect human health, as well as damaging native vegetation. It shows that under Victoria's legal framework, there are penalties for polluting water and/or damaging human health as a result of polluted waterways. |
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Other legislation allows for judicial review, or the recovery of damages, in the case of a breach of duty of care by a public authority.
The report came just weeks before the government was due to re-issue thousands of cattle grazing licences for publicly owned river and stream frontages.
These licences will be in place for another five years. It would be legally irresponsible for the government simply to re-issue grazing licences.
New conservation licences should be created that reward responsible farming practices, and provide and build on stewardship payments to farmers who limit or remove stock access to rivers.
In addition to the EDO report, the VNPA has just released a scientific report on the effects of cattle grazing on riparian areas.
Produced by Daryl Holland of the Monash University Water Studies Centre, the report, Human Health Risk from Crown Water Frontage Licences, is a literature review on the health impacts of cattle in riparian zones and rivers.
It found that:
- Cattle faeces contain pathogens that can be transmitted to humans.
- These pathogens can survive for long periods in water.
- Transmission to humans can occur through ingestion of contaminated water, or indirectly through using contaminated water to grow fruit and vegetables.
- Uncontrolled cattle access to water has direct effects through defecation directly on the bank or in the water, and also an increase in inputs from faeces away from the stream due to loss of the riparian buffer.
- Nutrient inputs from cattle increase the potential for toxic algal blooms.
- Uncontrolled cattle access to water leads to increased costs of water treatment for human consumption, due to higher risk of pathogen contamination and increased suspended solids.
The VNPA is urging the Victorian Government to take note of legal and scientific opinion on this critical public health and conservation policy.
VNPA riparian land campaign Download Monash University report (990kb pdf) Environment Defenders Office