The Federal Government has over-ruled the Qld Government to prevent grazing in National Parks. One small win? Now I have sympathy for the drought stricken farmers, but grazing the national parks is just not right!
Burke rejects allowing national parks cattle grazing The Queensland Government has accused the Federal Government of stirring up the biggest animals rights issue in Australia by rejecting its proposal to allow starving cattle to graze on conservation reserves and national parks. With a third of Queensland now drought-affected, Queensland National Parks Minister Steve Dickson says he will keep lobbying federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to change his mind.
“What we’re here today to do is get starving cattle to eat food rather than dropping dead in paddocks – they’re the options we have – let them die in the paddock or do something about it,” he said.
“I’m sure Mr Burke will see the common sense in that.”
Mr Dickson says the Federal Government risks an animals rights disaster, with 25,000 animals that may die from starvation.
“I don’t know why anybody would want to get in the way of stopping cattle staying alive,” he said.
“You look at what happened in Indonesia not so long ago – I think everyone jumped in the air because there was awful things happening over there with the abattoirs.
“That’s been resolved – let this not be another crisis, let’s do the right thing, let’s pull together and save these cattle’s lives.”
‘Absurb’
But Mr Burke says he will not be swayed.
“There’s $60 million on the table right now for Queensland farmers for interest-free loans that [Premier] Campbell Newman’s refusing to sign up to,” he said.
“It is just absurd for them to say that this is the only option, when everyone else in Australia is able to find options that don’t involve wrecking national parks.
“National parks are put there as a reserve for families to be able to go and enjoy nature – that’s what they’re for.
“They’re not farms, they’re not rifle ranges, they’re not there for the purposed of massive land clearing.
“They’re there for the purpose of having some parts of our country reserved for people to enjoy nature.”
But RSPCA spokesman Mark Townend says thousands of cattle could starve.
“Drought assistance may help but in this situation you can’t get to those cattle,” he said.
“The only way is to move them down to those national parks.”
‘Outrageous’ opposition
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney says the Queensland Government will proceed with its plan, saying the opposition to the proposal is “outrageous”.
He says the Federal Government did provide funding to help purchase some of the properties, so it is appropriate to seek their cooperation.
“We believe this is just such a common sense response to a critical animal welfare situation that we will proceed in Parliament next week to amend the legislation,” he said.
“We don’t need anyone’s permission to change the state legislation.
“It is only the issue of the funding that was made available to buy these properties – we are not going to be put off.” Rob Morris
Brisbane, Australia
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Hear, hear! One would think the RSPCA would spare a thought for the creatures in the NPs that will be affected by the cattle eating the place out. Why doesn’t the cattle industry itself have a contingency plan/fund to cover these types of drought events? Haven’t they heard that it’s only going to get worse? (Maybe they just don’t believe in human-induced climate change?)
Crocodile tears are flowing aplenty in the Sunshine Coal State.
Andrew Thelander Mob: 0400 034 809
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Peter
It is easy to go on and make multiple votes on that reader poll so the results can only be considered with distrust.
Greg Little
There’s an article in the Daily Mercury about it, querying some aspects of the scheme, such as the suitability of the parks which have been chosen. There’s also a reader poll, currently running 67% in favour of grazing in national parks, in case anyone would like to vote: http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/environment-minister-cattle-grazing-would-wreck-na/1870584/
Peter Shute
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One critical factor perhaps not acknowledged in the media so far is the weak commitment to protected areas in Queensland compared to the rest of Australia (and the rest of the world), especially National Parks. Less than 5% of Qld has been designated National Park, much less than in all other states and compared with SA, Victoria, WA and Tasmania a pathetic commitment (all those states have two or three or four times the percent under National Parks). The Australian total is 12% and our target (under the Convention on Biodiversity) is 17% by 2020. Even under Labor Queensland was only targeting 7% by 2020 (no show of getting that under the present Government). These protected areas are for the principal purpose of biodiversity, including of course the birds to which we are all committed. To argue that the needs of a few families of graziers come ahead of the biodiversity commitment is ludicrous. As noted already, graziers have options; the Queensland Government could fund shi pping for agistment and importing hay. Surely the solution to the cattle problem (misleadingly categorised as an animal welfare problem) can be found on the other 95% of Queensland that is not National Park? Of course it can.
Peter Valentine
0427 634 136 peter.valentine@jcu.edu.au
On 16/05/2013, at 9:41 PM, Laurie Knight wrote:
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Yep Ian, I agree TOTALLY !!!
it’s a big worry – he has missed the point & it is very worrying that he is our NP’s Minister with that kind of attitude… I say kill the cattle, process them, move on… & please, stop burning the parks… engage the RSPCA in considering the suffering of ducks & other wildlife illegally shot in VIC by weekend hack shooters – how is the suffering of these birds, many threatened, less important than starving cattle managed by people?? answer – because starving cattle affect people’s hip-pockets (sorry cattle farmers!!)… leave our national parks alone from anything other than very very light cattle grazing & get them out of there once fattened, but who can be entrusted to do this properly…??? the whole point has been missed by an elected individual, now finding himself as custodian to our national parks – this is really what does concern me!!
Martin Cachard Cairns
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Hopefully a key difference from the usual grazing management system is that they wouldn’t be shooting the roos to reduce the competition for pasture in the parks …
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I wonder why there is food for cattle in national parks, but not on farms. Does this mean the farms are overstocked? If they graze in national parks, what happens when they have eaten all the available food there? No cattle as well as no national parks? Merrilyn
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One of the big issues for me is how they expect to manage the cattle so they won’t trash the sensitive areas – unless there is fencing to keep the cattle out of the waterways or areas with rare grass communities …
Regards, Laurie.
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Do not forget the Govt. ban on live cattle left many 1000s of small cattle behind to grow and are now unsuitable for export. They are so tough they are unfit to eat without fattening on good pastures and now there are quite a few Brahman type on the western slopes of NSW ready for mincing for MacDonald’s. Grazing in a NP may prevent the authorities doing a prescribed burn, many of which turn out to be a disaster. So planning would not have helped when the system is suddenly changed. Cheers Chris
Dear All
I was also born in the country, though have long lived in the city, and I know how emotionally and financially brutal drought is. But it is still worth remembering that using national parks as fodder of last resort (i) removes or reduces the incentives for precautionary farming — drought is normal in Australia, and farming practices and farming finance needs to accommodate that — and once this is done once, it will be almost impossible to resist the demands to do it again when drought returns in other places, and (ii) it will penalise those farmers who did reduce stocking rates as drought began to threaten.
Kim
Kim Sterelny Philosophy Program RSSS, ANU
e-mail Kim.Sterelny@anu.edu.au, Kim.Sterelny@vuw.ac.nz
ANU Contact Information Philosophy Program Research School of the Social Sciences Australian National University 0200 Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Hi Jill,
No, I don’t think those fires did get much notice down here. No mention is made of that in the item we were responding to, but I think my question still stands i.e. why is the life of a cow more important than that of a bird/ wild animal/ possibly irreplaceable plant which may not have been tested for it’s drug properties which may save people’s lives? I grew up on a farm so am sympathetic to the problems, but at the same time I think we shouldn’t always be putting wild areas at the bottom of the caring basket.
Thanks for mentioning the fires. I hope a mutually satisfactory solution can be worked out.
Sonja
It seems that people are not aware of the devastating wildfires that ripped through those Nth Qld properties a little while ago. Vast areas of grassland were burnt. It was big news in Qld at the time, but perhaps didn’t get an airing further afield.
Jill
Jill Dening Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
26° 51′ 41″S 152° 56′ 00″E
The cattle don’t have to die of starvation. Good farmers work proactively to move stock before the situation gets to that stage and will shoot cattle before they suffer. It’s part of the gamble that is living off cattle and other livestock.
It’s very disappointing to see the RSPCA quoted. They are out of line supporting poor farming practice and promoting the suffering of birds and other wildlife in the national parks.
storm
Dear All,
I agree that this is good news, and with others who have followed up regarding the RSPCA’s ill-judged contribution.
But I want to pick up on a comment from Mr Burke that I think gets to the heart of why so few of the general public or politicians “get” conservation (and so relates to my “bad news” lament from yesterday). He is quoted in Rob’s email as saying
“National parks are put there as a reserve for families to be able to go and enjoy nature – that’s what they’re for”…. “They’re there for the purpose of having some parts of our country reserved for people to enjoy nature”.
Notice his emphasis on Nat Parks as being *for people* and about *people’s enjoyment* of nature. There is nothing here that recognises a conservation value of national parks, protecting habitats and biodiversity because they have intrinsic value, and we have a responsibility to be good custodians of that biodiversity. A consequence of Mr Burke’s interpretation is that National Parks are just “resource” that is “consumed by the public”. Under this interpretation if the greater benefit *to people* would come from logging them, grazing them, mining in them or otherwise exploiting them, then it is entirely logical to do so. The fact that a statement like this is coming from the Federal Minister for the Environment is exasperating.
Cheers, Ian
Hi Jill,
No, I don’t think those fires did get much notice down here. No mention is made of that in the item we were responding to, but I think my question still stands i.e. why is the life of a cow more important than that of a bird/ wild animal/ possibly irreplaceable plant which may not have been tested for it’s drug properties which may save people’s lives? I grew up on a farm so am sympathetic to the problems, but at the same time I think we shouldn’t always be putting wild areas at the bottom of the caring basket.
Thanks for mentioning the fires. I hope a mutually satisfactory solution can be worked out.
Sonja
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It seems that people are not aware of the devastating wildfires that ripped through those Nth Qld properties a little while ago. Vast areas of grassland were burnt. It was big news in Qld at the time, but perhaps didn’t get an airing further afield.
Jill
Jill Dening Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
26° 51′ 41″S 152° 56′ 00″E
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The cattle don’t have to die of starvation. Good farmers work proactively to move stock before the situation gets to that stage and will shoot cattle before they suffer. It’s part of the gamble that is living off cattle and other livestock.
It’s very disappointing to see the RSPCA quoted. They are out of line supporting poor farming practice and promoting the suffering of birds and other wildlife in the national parks.
storm
Hi Shirley,
That’s a good point.
Another point that could be considered is, is it more important that cattle should not die from starvation or the native wildlife and vegetation in the parks? The cattle could be shipped out, and could be more easily replaced probably.
Sonja
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Dear all,
The question should be put: if good management had been in place – that is, the de-stocking of paddocks LONG BEFORE every blade of grass has been eaten would this situation have arisen?
Shirley Cook
Not sure if you are aware Rob, but Mr Burke has just given the ‘go-ahead’ for the Bauxite mine on Cape York, if this is the current governments attitude to the environment I’m certainly not looking forward to those that will probably replace them in September.
Tom
On Thu, May 16, 2013 at 1:34 PM, robert morriswrote: