February 2, 2012
The Federal Government has been accused of blindly accepting the ideology of inner city Greens with its decision to impose a ban on cattle grazing in the high country.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said he wasn’t surprised by the decision by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke.
“It doesn’t surprise me because the Labor Party is captive to the inner city Greens who they negotiated with to form government,” Mr Chester said.
“This is another example of city-based Labor Ministers blindly accepting the Greens’ ideology without any regard for the opinions and traditions of regional people.
“The Victorian Government won a clear mandate at the last State election with a policy to reintroduce cattle to the high country. The government should be given the opportunity to implement the policy and undertake its trial to reduce the severity of bushfires in the Alpine National Park.
“Rather than worry about a few hundred cattle, Minister Burke should do something about the thousands of wild dogs, brumbies, deer and noxious weeds which are destroying the natural environment.
“Minister Burke likes to claim that the national park is not a farm – well it shouldn’t be a weed infested wasteland, heavily populated by feral animals and unable to be used by people.”
Mr Chester said the ‘lock it up and leave it’ mentality of the previous State Labor Government had made its way to Canberra.
“The same Minister who is kicking cattle out of the high country allowed his city-based Cabinet colleagues to take $11 million out of the Landcare budget,” Mr Chester said.
“There is not a single Labor Cabinet Minister who actually lives in a regional town and understands the importance of practical land management techniques.”
Mr Chester has encouraged the State Coalition Government to explore all avenues for continuing the cattle grazing trial.
“As someone who respects the cultural heritage and tradition of the cattlemen, I believe we need to foster that knowledge for the benefit of future generations and the environment,” Mr Chester said.