Thread: Cattle back in the VicHigh Country

Originally Posted by zuno555

Gazillions of deer, wild brumbies, pigs, wild dogs and cats etc etc.

What's a few hundred cattle going to do?

(dons flamesuit )

Sounds like someone who actually has been to the high country recently.
There has ben a noticeable increase in deer numbers over the past couple of years. I only have to walk up the road in the morning and I nearly get run over by them!
And don't get me started on wild dogs and feral cats. Nothing serious has been done to cut their numbers down. Where are the greenies when you need them.

One thing I've noticed when travelling the NSW/VIC high country, is where there are cattle, there are areas of bare ground, dirty creeks full of cow crap and hoof marks and lots and lots of flys, less native animals, more Lantana, blackberries and other weeds that shouldn't be there, when cows and sheep eat grass they tear it out roots and all, which cause bare areas that in some cases don't grow back.

I think it's a stupid Idea and if you think it will reduce bush fire risk, then these people are dumber than I thought.

Baz.

I can understand why some people believe that grazing in the Alpine regions would reduce fire risk. It seems intuitive that if the cattle eat some of the fuel there will be less to burn. However the fact that something seems obvious does not make it right.

Several studies have established that grazing does not help reduce fires. The fire might be less severe in one localised area, but it does nothing to stop the spread or the overall severity of the fire. Major fires driven by strong winds and embers are quite capable of leapfrogging over even a heavily grazed area.

A CSIRO report
Fire and grazing in Australian Alpine landscapes (Fact Sheet)
concluded:
There was no statistically significant difference between grazed and ungrazed areas in the proportion of points burnt. Fire occurrence was determined primarily by vegetation type, with the proportion burnt being 0.87 for closed-heath , 0.59 for open- 0.13 for grassland and all snow-patch herbfield points unburnt. In both closed-heath and open-heath, grazing did not significantly lower the severity of fire, as measured by the diameter of burnt twigs.
and
We interpret the lack of a grazing effect in terms of shrub dynamics (little or no grazing effect on long-term cover of taller shrubs), diet and behaviour of cattle (herbs and dwarf shrubs eaten; tall shrubs not eaten and closed-heath vegetation generally avoided), and fuel flammability (shrubs more flammable than grass). Whatever effects livestock grazing may have on vegetation cover, and therefore fuels in alpine landscapes, they are likely to be highly localised, with such effects unlikely to translate into landscape-scale reduction of fire occurrence or severity.

A lot of people who claim that it is obvious that grazing reduces the fuel load are ignoring the fact that cattle do not eat the vegetation that contributes most to the fuel load and the fact that their impact tends to be localised while severe fires are not local. The fact that the grass may be shorter in one paddock or valley is not going to save the general area from fire.

The evidence shows that:
The use of livestock grazing in Australian alpine environments as a fire abatement practice is not justified on scientific grounds.

The attached document: Fire Ecology and Management in Victorian Alpine Landscapes by CSIRO's Dick Williams, also provides useful discussion of the issues.

Cheers
KarlB

Karl your post adds fuel to the fire.

If I was the Vic Govt I'd be very worried about the inpending Federal Govt investigation and decision with regards to the legalities of their action.

Of course assemble ten scientists in a room and you'll get ten different theories.

But what benefit comes from grazing 400 cattle for six years apart from more protein and methane.

When were cattle first allowed in the Park?,I imagine it was a long time ago?. Pat

Originally Posted by PAT303

When were cattle first allowed in the Park?,I imagine it was a long time ago?. Pat

Heritage

Aboriginal people 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 gather the nutritious Bogong Moths that shelter there. Today, Aboriginal communities in Victoria, NSW and the ACT take a particular interest in the management and heritage of the high country. Much more of the Alps’ Aboriginal heritage was revealed by the fires of 2003 and archaeological surveys were carried out in the following year.

European pastoralists from NSW started moving south into the Alps in the 1830s. Grazing began around Omeo in 1836, and runs were taken up in the foothills. Summer grazing soon extended to the higher country, and huts were built there for shelter and storage during stock mustering. You can experience this history by visiting the cattlemen's huts dotted along the high plains or the ruins of Wonnangatta Station (home of the pioneer Bryce family for many years). Wallaces Hut near Falls Creek, built in 1889, is one of the oldest surviving huts in the area. Sadly many huts and other heritage sites were burnt in the fires of 2003.

From the 1850s to around 1900, gold lured many people to the Alps. Relics can still be seen in Historic Areas adjacent to the park, and towns like Dargo, Harrietville, Mitta Mitta, Omeo and Bright have strong links to the gold era.

The 1939 bushfires in the forests around Melbourne and the boom in house-building after World War II led to a greatly increased demand for timber from the Alps. This resulted in the building of a network of roads that helped open the Alps to visitors. Today tourism is one of the most important activities in the Alpine area.

The fires of December 2006-January 2007 have resulted in further heritage loss. Surveys and restoration works are under way or planned.

From the above, courtesy of Vic Parks, cattle were introduced to the high country 175 years ago and have enjoyed summer grazing there for 169 years until they were evicted in 2005 (IIRC).
The Alpine NP was declared in 1989 and for some years prior to that, the area was managed by the Land Conservation Council (LCC)

There was a movie called 'Cool Change' made around 1975 which depicts the battle between the cattlemen and NP's when they tried to stop cattle grazing in the high country. Well worth watching if you can get a copy of it.

So what damage have the cattle done?,if they have been there for 175 years what improved in the 5 years they weren't?. Pat