National_Parks_Oral_(Debate)

National Parks-Oral In 2005, cattle were removed from the Alpine National Park when the Brack’s Labor Government did not renew licences for farmers due to the detrimental environmental damage they caused. The Baillieu government has now allowed 400 cattle to be returned to the Alpine National Park at six sites covering 25,600 hectares as part of a bushfire risk trial under the Department of Sustainability and Environment. It is quite difficult to understand how this trial can be considered “research” as it goes against any rational research guidelines. The environment that these parks accommodate is at risk and so is the recreation and tourism that it brings about. Removing the cattle was allowing the environment as well as the culture and heritage to be restored; let’s keep it that way. Apparently Mr Baillieu needs more evidence as to whether “grazing reduces blazing.” Sixty years of impeccable research by ecologists showing that grazing had no impact on fire risk mustn’t have been satisfactory for him. The CSIRO released a detailed report into their thorough research in 2006 clearly stating that cattle do not reduce blazing. On the website it states that “the available bio-physical evidence, based on long term ecological research and the behaviour and impacts of the widespread 2003 fires, suggests it does not.” Also, it is evident that shrubs are the main agent for carrying fires in Alpine regions, which cattle do not eat. It almost seems ridiculous that the Baillieu government would even consider a so called research trial. However, the DSE claims that more work is needed on the effects of grazing on fuel load and structure in all alpine and subalpine ecosystems. But it seems that they don’t even have a real idea of what they will be researching in the trial that is intended to take six years. “Completing analyses of the scientific literature” they say will be the main agenda for the first year. Now how can we possibly think this research is flimsy when they have assured us that they will be analyzing scientific literature' The leading scientist of this trial, Mark Adams, didn’t have anything to do with their release and wasn’t even aware of their release. In fact, when he was questioned he said he would not be ready to start data collection until October. Now isn’t that odd' The head scientist wasn’t even aware of the cattle’s release. Surely this makes you doubt the legitimacy of this whole thing. Cattle spotted in the park were also seen unsupervised and were not wearing electronic collars to track their movements. Is this really research' It’s hard not to have suspicion as to whether the Baillieu government pulled this stunt to aid his political campaign. Mr Baillieu promised his cattle rearing buddies he would make sure the cattle were in the forest and did this at about the time of the election late last year. However, in 2008 the Federal Government included the Victorian Alpine National Park as one of 11 national parks and nature reserves registered on the National Heritage list. Mr Baillieu would have been quite aware that Canberra would not allow cattle to be returned, so now he has constructed this trial program to make the cattlemen think he is fighting hard to get the cattle back in and doing what he can. Why else would he have strategically located the trial in the park itself' If the trial really was legitimate, it could have very easily been carried out somewhere else where it wouldn’t be threatening fragile ecosystems. So Mr Baillieu thought he had balanced this fine juggling act without losing. But unfortunately for him, people are able to see his foul play. How we can trust a government that devises policies, not for the people, but solely for votes, knowing the policies won’t be allowed. It’s clear that this “science” is a mask to win the electoral support of the mountain cattlemen. But putting politics aside, the main issue here is that cattle in the Alpine National Park are having adverse effects on the environment, and delicate ecosystems are in danger as they have been in the past when cattle roamed the mountains. Of course, this trial is only 400 cattle, but they have already damaged areas significantly. Henrik Wahren, an alpine ecologist with La Trobe University, described protected wetlands as trampled and potted with hoof marks and cow dung. Also, if the cattle remain in the park then we are going to see more and more added until we will have a “scientific farming community.” Cattle pollute waterways, trample delicate wetlands, cause soil erosion and spread weeds. Selective grazing causes a change in vegetation composition and land becomes compacted allowing shallow rooted exotic weeds to grow at the expense of the native flora. Native endangered fauna are also at risk, such as alpine tree frogs whose habitats are being sabotaged. Sphagnum moss peat beds are essential to the water distribution as they absorb water in wetter seasons and release it in the summer, ensuring creeks flow throughout the year. But these sphagnum bogs are now being destroyed due to the trampling cattle. This leads to water flow increasing in spring, and thus, the scouring and erosion of river beds and heavily decreased water flow in summer and autumn, causing localised drought. Sphagnum, wetlands and at least 12 Alpine plants and wild flowers are listed under the federal laws as matters of national environment significance and are threatened by cattle grazing. When the cattle were removed in 2005, the land could finally recover which we have seen in the last 5 to 6 years. We’re dealing with a serious issue here. Now, there have been claims that once we make these natural oddities a National Park and remove the cattlemen, they are no longer managed. This is a huge misconception, because once this happens, they are managed more so than when they were farmed and are managed in a sustainable way that ensures the prosperity of the land in years to come. The only problem is that for this correct management to continue, funding is needed. The magnificent Alpine national park contains 10 of the 11 highest mountains in the state and boasts stunningly beautiful alpine topography with dramatic mountain landscapes, wild rivers, impressive escarpments, snow gum forests and open grasslands known as high plains. This natural beauty is in danger of being sacrificed for the benefit of a group of cattle rearing families. We need to keep the park beneficial for everyone. The park is home to a number of recreation and tourist activities including scenic bushwalks, fishing, camping, mountain bike riding, white water rafting, swimming, hang gliding and skiing in the winter. People from all over Australia and overseas want to enjoy this grand landscape for years to come and, if managed correctly it will bestow more to the regional economy than cattle grazing will. The traditional indigenous land owners went to and through the Alpine area over thousands of years and knew its flora, fauna, geography and seasonal changes intimately. Groups visited the Alps in summer to hold ceremonies and to gather the nutritious bogong moths that shelter there. Today, Aboriginal communities take particular interest in the management and heritage of the high country. All of this history, culture and beauty must be conserved for future generations. Let’s get these cattle out of the park before things get out of hand.