Cattle in the Alpine National Park

[Stew63]

I believe King Hut is in State Park/Forest. The Alpine NP starts east of the King River. There have always been cattle along the King River around here. It's nothing to do with the trial. They make a real mess along the banks. Walk further up the King River to where the cattle can't get to and it's pristine again. Just goes to show what damage they do.

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Hi Andrew - thanks for the map.
Sure on the map the King River Hut itself is just inside the State Forest (by metres) but all the cattle were well up on the NE side of the river which, according to the map is labelled the Alpine National Park.

So cattle were/are already permitted to freely graze inside the Alpine National Park anyway regardless of the latest trial in the Wonnangatta - I wasn't aware of that.

There was an official sign posted up near Refridgerator Gap yesterday detailing the stock route to the Wonnangatta from Howqua. (Brocks Rd.- Bluff Rd. - KingBilly Rd. - Howitt Rd. - Zeka Trk.)

[north-north-west]

They plan to charge someting like $18.00 per night for us to dispersed camp in the Alpine National park, I hope they charge the cattle owners the same per head per night
for the total time they dispersed "camp" there. They will be using the same facilities as we do .... ie. None because there isn't any!

+1

It's a trial, so actually the cattlemen concerned will be getting paid to have their cattle there.

The ultimate triumph of ideological fundamentalism over science and common sense.

[Lophophaps]

I'm quite sure that the government - any government - will find new and better ways of defying common sense to satisfy ideology.

[Snowzone]

The following is from an email that I received from the VNPA.

Today we lodged papers in the Supreme Court of Victoria challenging the Napthine Government's reintroduction of cattle grazing to the Alpine National Park, and we need your help.

The whole idea of national parks is to conserve nature for future generations, and for its own sake. These natural environments are irreplaceable – a gift to the present, and a legacy for the future.


But by insisting on putting cattle back into the Alpine National Park the Victorian Government is ignoring the intention of the law that established national parks.

Now that all other avenues of protecting the national park have been thwarted we have been forced to take legal action.

Both the state and federal governments have failed in their duty to protect the Alpine National Park.

This is a legal test case. No one has ever tried it before, so we can’t guarantee we will win.

But in our view there is no other option. We have to take this brave step.

Ensuring the integrity of national parks is an investment in the future. Whether we win or lose this legal test case, the idea and importance of national parks as a haven for people and nature must be defended.

To fight this campaign we need to raise money from visionary people in Victoria. We’re hoping you are one of those people.

>> DONATE NOW

We have today lodged legal proceedings and are awaiting a hearing date.

This campaign is vital. It’s not just about stopping cattle, it’s also about putting a stop to all the other attempts to exploit and commercialise our national parks in ways that irreversibly damage them for future generations.

We have to take this legal action now. In March this year, 60 cattle were rushed back into the Wonnangatta Valley, part of the heritage-listed Alpine National Park, by your government as part of a flawed fire management trial.

These ‘cattle grazing trials’ have been roundly criticised as flawed science that will contribute little, if anything, to our understanding of fire management. The evidence speaks for itself, you can read it on our website.

We have to stop them going back in again over the coming 2014-15 summer when more cattle (up to 300) will do even more damage!

The mountain cattlemen have clearly said they want to return cattle to the entire Alpine National Park, and that this ‘trial’ is just the starting point.

With a looming state election, the Napthine Government and the Labor opposition must clarify their policy on these 'scientific' cattle grazing trials.

Victorians have a right to know before the next state election if they are voting for a small-scale scientific trial, the full-scale return of cattle grazing to the Alpine National Park or for the exclusion of cattle from the park once and for all.

[peregrinator]

Snowzone, thank you very much for forwarding the VNPA message. I am not a member of that association but I will send a donation for what seems like a very worthwhile challenge to the nonsense emanating from the cattlepersons mob (yes, they have female members but seem to not understand or want to understand gender issues).

[walkerchris77]

Fresh roast beef out bush. Yum