March 6, 2014
High country cattle grazing will resume after a referral for a trial of the practice under the Environment, Protection, Biodiversity and Conservation Act (EPBC Act) was approved.
The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has welcomed the decision which was confirmed by the Environment Minister Greg Hunt last night.
Mr Chester said the trial would be co-ordinated by the Victorian Coalition Government and undertaken on former pastoral land in the Wonnangatta Valley.
“It’s pleasing that the mandate which the Victorian Coalition Government received at the 2010 State election to implement a research trial into the effects of cattle grazing has finally been recognised,” Mr Chester said.
“The Victorian Government invested significantly to deliver on its election commitment but was stopped by the Federal Labor Government and the Greens who sided together to ban the previous trial in 2011 and then established new regulations to stop cattle being reintroduced.
“Labor and the Greens’ environmental policy consists of a lock it up and leave it approach, but the Coalition at both a State and Federal level is focused on active land management.
“This decision is a big win for the heritage and tradition that our mountain cattlemen have displayed in caring for the bush for more than 150 years.”
Mr Chester said the trial would consist of approximately 60 cattle grazing on 275 hectares of a former cattle station in its first year which will increase to around 300 cattle by the third year.
“I look forward to continuing to support the trial and working with my State and Federal colleagues to investigate other measures that may help mitigate bushfires in the future,” Mr Chester said.