Newman Government Needs To Protect Parks During Emergency Grazing

Media Release.

The Newman government must introduce a strict monitoring program to ensure Queensland’s pristine national parks are not permanently damaged now that they have been opened up to grazing in emergencies.

Shadow National Parks Minister Bill Byrne said now that the LNP government had decided to change legislation, it needed to simultaneously boost protection and ensure the biodiversity of national parks did not suffer.

“Nobody wants to see animals suffering - nobody wants to witness an animal welfare crisis because cattle are unable to feed,” Mr Byrne said.

“But the government needs to make good on the commitment it has made this afternoon to limit grazing to areas that were formerly used for farming."

“The government needs to ensure its monitoring program – to protect the natural environment – is constant and vigilant."

“It needs to give a guarantee it will monitor the sanitisation of these animals and explain how it will manage that process."

“Cattle are the biggest propagators of weeds and weeds are the biggest threat to the natural environment of our parks."

“The Opposition is pleased to see that the Minister has said this will be for a limited period of time but he needs to be specific and define how long that time will be."

“He needs to explain who will bear the cost of protecting and rehabilitating the parks and give an iron-clad guarantee that emergency grazing is not the first step in widespread use of national parks for routine grazing."

“I will be seeking an urgent briefing to address each of these points.”

Mr Byrne said the Minister needed to be hands on in managing each of these aspects once the parks are opened to graziers.

“He has committed to manage this process on a property by property basis just as he has committed to retain sensitive areas and Queenslanders will be watching closely to ensure those commitments are kept."

“We are home to some of the most pristine natural environment in the world – we are internationally recognised for that."

“The LNP government needs to give a guarantee that reputation is not permanently tarnished.”