Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

What do a herd of cows with a sense of humour and the Baillieu government both have in common? Answer: they are both a laughing stock. The so-called scientific trial unveiled by the coalition government, with the return of 400 head of cattle to the Alpine National Park in January this year, is intended to run for six years. What sort of trial runs for six years? I know David Hicks waited six years for a trial, but the idea of a trial for six years is laughable.

Scientific research in national parks normally follows well-established processes. You have, first and foremost, priorities for research established by park managers in consultation with scientists. Standard procedures setting up scientific research programs were not followed. There was no peer review of the projects designed, no ethics clearance, no budget priority assessment and, most importantly, no baseline monitoring before cattle were introduced. This makes a joke of the whole notion of a scientific trial—no baseline data.

The park rangers are concerned that their normal work looking after the park has been falling by the wayside due to the need to monitor the cows. The cows have been fitted with tracking devices, which reminds me: why do cows wear bells? Answer: because their horns don’t work. This ‘scientific’ trial mirrors Japanese ‘scientific whaling’ in that what is described as a scientific study is constructed around a commercial agenda. Indeed, this is a commercial agenda which could expand if the state government accepts the advice of a draft report by the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission, which has recommended hotels, restaurants and other facilities be allowed inside Victoria’s national parks. This is a recommendation to a state government that introduced quickly and secretly 400 cattle into the Alpine National Park just a few days before the 2011 cattlemen’s annual get-together, attended by nine coalition parliamentarians. At the time of the reintroduction, according to the Weekly Times of 13 January, cattlewoman Christa Treasure said:

Mountain cattlemen had been told to keep the news under wraps until the stock were in the park to prevent any potential Federal Government injunction.

It seems that the Liberal Party has learnt nothing from the Kennett era, when conservation groups had to mount a ‘Hands Off the Prom’ campaign to protect Wilsons Promontory from plans for privately operated tourist facilities. It seems that they have learnt nothing from Point Nepean. I recall as shadow environment minister at the time working with the Victorian Labor government and local residents to force the Howard government to back away from moneymaking proposals for the Defence land at Point Nepean.

The Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission and the Victorian government should stop eyeing off national parks—which are public assets, public property—and thinking, ‘How can we exploit them and make a private dollar out of them?’ Our national parks public assets bring joy and comfort to the soul of this generation, and they are held on trust for the enjoyment of future generations. They are not for the exploitation and private profit by the friends and supporters of governments or political parties. As Executive Director Matt Ruchel of the Victorian National Parks Association has said:

The core reason for national parks and the reason why people like them is it is about the protection of natural values—not whether you can get a latte there.

I congratulate environment minister Tony Burke on his announcement of Friday last week. This is an announcement which will protect the Alpine National Park. He has given the Victorian government 15 business days, until 8 April, to refer its current cattle-grazing actions for Commonwealth decision. The minister has said:

The Victorian Government was wrong to reintroduce cattle to the Alpine National Park and I have now determined that it needs to be fully scrutinised under national environmental law.

It is extraordinary how little information the Victorian Government has provided.

The referral will allow me to determine whether the impacts of cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park have a significant impact on matters protected under national environmental law.

That is a responsible course of action for the minister to take. I welcome it. It is the right action for the protection of the Victorian Alps which are a magnificent heritage for us all.

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