THE Greens have threatened to move a private member's bill to outlaw grazing of cattle in the Alpine National Park, accusing federal Environment Minister Tony Burke of being too slow to halt the practice.
Mr Burke has asked his department to investigate whether the Victorian government has broken any commonwealth environmental law after cattle were returned to the heritage-listed park last month, five years after the practice was banned by the Bracks Labor government.
Greens MP Adam Bandt yesterday released a private member's bill to abolish grazing of cattle in the Alpine National Park, arguing Mr Burke was not acting fast enough. Mr Bandt said he would prefer Mr Burke to move against the cattle grazing, but if there was no action from the federal government, he would push ahead with a vote on the bill.
Liberal Premier Ted Baillieu's idea of returning cattle to Victoria's alpine areas has now become a national environmental issue.
The Australian understands Mr Burke will pursue every option to protect national parks and sees it as a national test case on the treatment of national parks.
He said the Victorian government did not notify his department before the introduction of cattle and his department was trying to find out why.
"The Victorian government should see sense on this; it is a very simple, straightforward decision as to whether our national park is going to be something that is preserved for the environment," Mr Burke said. "I do want to say in the strongest possible terms to the Victorian government, whether they have breached federal law or not, we are talking about a national park, not a farm. We are talking about a national park that is there for the preservation of native species."
Mr Burke told Labor caucus yesterday he had received representations from Labor members and senators about the issue and they should feel free to campaign on the issue. Mr Bandt's bill, to be introduced on Monday, will deem the federal Environment Minister to have decided to reject alpine grazing in the National Park, forcing the Victorian government to remove the cattle. Mr Bandt compared the "scientific" grazing trial to Japan's "scientific whaling". "The federal government has had more than a month to act," he said. "This is a park, not a paddock."
Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Victorian Premier said: "We have not received any advice we are contravening federal law. In fact, this trial is consistent with the state government's legislated responsibility to ensure appropriate and sufficient measures are taken to protect each national and state park from injury by fire."
After a vigorous campaign to put grazing on the state election agenda, Mountain Cattlemen's Association of Victoria president Mark Coleman said he was not worried about Mr Bandt's move.
"As far as we understand it, the state government manages the national park," he said."I would really like to know the last time Adam Bandt went to Victorian national parks and the areas concerned," he said. "It's amazing how many people haven't been there for 10 or 20 years."
