Commonwealth overrides Victoria on issue of grazing in alpine park

[D4D]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/commonwealth-overrides-victoria-on-issue-of-grazing-in-alpine-park/story-e6frg6nf-1226024063731

The Gillard government has dramatically intervened to override the Victorian government over grazing in the Alpine National Park, issuing an April 8 deadline for cattle to be removed.

[dno]

I'm sure that ranga trol's this forum. I think she's suffering from freedom envy.

[sschmez]

  Just don't get me started

[darren]

Thats great news

[speewa158]

Bob the ( Green ) builder is on the job . Lets all settle back bend over & cop it sweet till we can put them back where they belong . Long Drop  ( end political rant )  .

[Jon]

April 9 is the new Victorian public holiday.

it's called "Everybody eat Steak day"

[stockhorse]

Starting a good basis for revolution of states against federal

[darren]

If everyone was genuinely concerned about the size of the cattle herd in Australia and our ability to produce beef we would do something to stop farmers subdividing prime grazing land for it to be sold to lifestyle and hobby farmers that no longer use it for production. A few cows being shut out of some summer scrub grazing country is quite insignificant to this. But i guess it isn't romantic enough to make the news or forum pages...

[britts]

Did they only remove the cattle so the prospective commercial gigs move in???
http://vnpa.org.au/page/nature-conservation/media-releases/tourism-facilities-in-national-parks-could-kill-'golden-goose

http://www.npansw.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=110&Itemid=495

http://www.npansw.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=534:background-to-the-current-tourism-and-national-parks-crisis&catid=110:tourism&Itemid=496

[speewa158]

Good question , but whos hand is up whos back & pulling the strings 

[markp]

Okay this seems stupid to me being a grazier myself in queensland I know that if country is not grazed the risk of out of control bushfires increases dramatically. I'm no expert on the high country but surely sensable stocking rates would reduce fuel without any effect on the country. Have they thought this through?

[sschmez]

Okay this seems stupid to me being a grazier myself in queensland I know that if country is not grazed the risk of out of control bushfires increases dramatically. I'm no expert on the high country but surely sensable stocking rates would reduce fuel without any effect on the country. Have they thought this through?

You're quite right markp, and common sense (which isn't so common anymore) says you're right too....
the problem here in Victoria is that a "study" was taken which reached a conclusion to the contrary and this keeps on getting quoted ...

.......noone quoting it actually read the report and the conclusion was drawn from a grazing run that could have been grazed (at more realistic stocking rates) but was never actually grazed prior to the study because the cattle weren't in the area.

grazing will be the least of our worries here in Vic high country once the development and restricted access starts to protect the commercial operators

thin end of the wedge , but the greenwashed don't see it

Stevo

[D4D]

but the greenwashed don't see it

Where is Barry?

[sschmez]

Where is Barry?

.... sure he'll be along shortly 

Just don't get me started  

[grizzly]

 I will be the devils advocate here, tell me the difference between the Graziers (commercial operation last time I checked ) and any other operation that makes money, a vested interest if ever I heard one and do these graziers pay market rate for this adgistment or did they get a mates rate, Their are many areas for cattle to graze, but where else can the things that rely on this environment go? I love a steak/lamb roast but I go camping to see the beautiful country not piles of steaming cow crap, FYI my family background includes graziers/shearer's, meatworkers, no rampant greenies just realists.
Grizzly

[sschmez]

I will be the devils advocate here, tell me the difference between the Graziers (commercial operation last time I checked ) and any other operation that makes money, a vested interest if ever I heard one and do these graziers pay market rate for this adgistment or did they get a mates rate, Their are many areas for cattle to graze, but where else can the things that rely on this environment go? I love a steak/lamb roast but I go camping to see the beautiful country not piles of steaming cow crap, FYI my family background includes graziers/shearer's, meatworkers, no rampant greenies just realists.
Grizzly

You're quite right Grizzly, the graziers have a vested interest to look after the land they're using whether they own it or not. After a century and a half I reckon that on balance they did a pretty good job and the area is still considered a pristine alpine environment and good enough for heritage listing and good enough to be a National Park.

Pretty good job, I'd reckon.

As far as market rates on agistment, there have always been licence fees levied on the cattlemen
and set by the government. Was never called agistment because that would mean our government would have more responsibilities to the cattlemen and cattle. Provision of water, cattle yards, fencing, fertiliser, insurance, continuous feed, access and a host of other things would need to be provided by the government for a "normal" agistment agreement at flatland market rates.

Stevo

[D4D]

Maybe we can train the cows in the high country?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/luna-the-cow-who-thinks-shes-a-showjumping-horse/story-e6frfhk6-1226034493867

When Regina Mayer's parents refused to buy her horse, she refused to give up on her dream of showjumping.

The German teenager went straight out to the dairy paddock on her family's farm and saddled up one of the cows.

Regina, 15, spent months training Luna and can now ride her with ease.

[markp]

 Most graziers like myself are probably more realist than most because like you say stevo we have to look after our land if we want it to be handed down to our children and grandchildren like it has been handed to me it has to be looked after. My family has been grazeing country in QLD for four generations and the country we have is just as fertile and productive as ever probably more so. We have 85000 acres and without man made water such as bores and dams there would be no water for 50 klms either side of our homestead not to mention feed, so long way between drinks for skippy, by the way there are thousands at any one time here. I dont believe that many graziers would abuse this land and as stevo says its still in pretty good shape maybe even better for it. Just my opinion Grizzly.

[D4D]

Great post Mark, 85,000 acres I'd love 1 acre It is a pity the text book uni raised public servants and urban greenies don't actually take the time to learn from you guys.

[speewa158]

           NO GRAZE ,,,,, YOU BLAZE ,,,,, YOUR CALL ,,,,,,,,?

[D4D]

Bob Brown 1, Baillieu Government 0

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/controversial-cattle-grazing-trial-suspended-in-alpine-national-park/story-fn7x8me2-1226037806090

[grizzly]

Markp
It is the great work like your family has done over generations that prove to the radical green fruitloops that the majority of farmers do have a vested interest in the long term health of the land that they manage, the question is can we do this in an area that you are competing with vulnerable species that do not have the option to leave when it gets to cold etc, cattle grazing can never be said not to have an impact and needs to be managed,and there are many things in our world we used to do and do not do any longer because we have since learnt that they do cause harm to the environment and or people, Since the areas where closed to grazing I did not notice the T bone steak disappear from the butcher shop, it has meant that some graziers  have had to rearrange their practices, I wish to see these areas how they look with out the disturbance of stock or developers, and if both side were to meet in the middle rather than at either end of their own agendas maybe their could still be both, as far as graze or blaze that is purely emotive and I have fought fires in grazed and ungrazed land ,for example I believe a lot of what burnt in black Saturday was grazed?
Grizzly

[Bird]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/department-warns-against-alpine-grazing-trial-20111215-1owt0.html

[Redback]

           NO GRAZE ,,,,, YOU BLAZE ,,,,, YOUR CALL ,,,,,,,,?

Cattle eat green grass,

not leaf litter/fuel for bushfires!!!

[D4D]

Cattle eat green grass,

Yes and this prevents green grass turning into brown grass, fuel for bushfires

Watch out for the nematodes