Bundarrah Days

Consider this claim by NSW Environment Minister, Bob Debus. The man is a buffoon.

"Mr Debus replied that he would not allow grazing in National Parks, saying it had never occurred in the past and that there was not a clear justification for doing so."

In the past there was never 6 million hectares of public land in NSW locked up in national parks. In addition, much of that land has been grazed previously.

Your land is not being protected in national parks, it's being held hostage.

The Iemma-Costa Labor Government has ruled out giving graziers access to National Parks to feed their livestock, despite farmers struggling with the worst drought on record, NSW Leader of The Nationals, Andrew Stoner, said.

In Parliament today, The Nationals Member for Orange, Russell Turner, asked Environment Minister Bob Debus if he would allow graziers access to public land to feed their livestock given the severity of the drought.

"Mr Debus replied that he would not allow grazing in National Parks, saying it had never occurred in the past and that there was not a clear justification for doing so," Mr Turner said.

"This is a ridiculous and arrogant response from the Iemma-Costa Labor Government.

"Grazing has in fact been allowed in National Parks before, and this is the worst drought in 100 years.

"More than 93 percent of NSW is now drought declared."

Andrew Stoner said feeding livestock was becoming harder and harder.

"The almost 6 million hectares of parks in NSW are a massive untapped resource that could help farmers save thousands of livestock," Mr Stoner said.

"Stock in defined areas of National Parks can also benefit the environment by reducing the amount of bushfire fuel on the ground thereby minimising the severity of bushfires.

"It's madness.

"Graziers are quickly exhausting their feed stockpiles, while nearby, large areas of public land remain unused.

"The Iemma-Costa Labor Government has again failed to support our farmers and drought affected communities.

"After 12 years of excuses - it's time Labor did the right thing for drought-stricken graziers and showed some compassion."


Contact: Andrew Stoner. 0427- 164 092 / Russell Turner. 0427 - 290 923. Tanya Cleary. Ph: 9230 2281 / 0418-615-280.

Via Save Our Snowy

TODAY'S result was not unexpected. At best The Liberals were a chance to pick up 15 seats. They've gained five at the time of writing and could possibly win a couple more.

However, today brought three big bonuses.

. Ian Maxfield, Chairman of The Alpine Grazing Taskforce which recommended the eviction of The Mountain Cattlemen and was subsequently targeted by Push For The Bush has lost his seat of Narracan. Revenge is sweet indeed!

. Russell Savage, one of the gang of three independents who made Bracks Premier in 1999 and voted in favour of the eviction of the Mountain Cattlemen is also out. And judging by the size of the swing against him, around 25 per cent, he'll be leaving Mildura to look for a job because no one up there will be offering him one.

. The National Party comeback. After being written off as a spent force and consigned to history the Nats have stunned the two major parties by holding all their lower house seats and winning an extra one.

I haven't seen any results for the Upper House yet but it appears that The Greens will be unlikely to win a seat, let alone hold the balance of power. If it works out that way it should be a strong indication to Bracks and Co that Victoria does not want to go the way of Tasmania on environmental issues. The strong showing of The Nationals and the failure of The Greens is a warning - stop messing with country Victoria.

Ted Baillieu should not be blamed for only achieving a modest turn around today. Five months ago The Liberals were staring at the loss of up to five additional seats. They've gained at least five. Baillieu's performance in his short time as leader has probably delivered them 10 seats and he may have done better if not for KPMG's costing blunder on the last day of the campaign.

If Heime Bracks thinks this term is going to be as quiet as his first two he'd better have a rethink. A lot of people are planning to make life very unpleasant for this government over the next four years. The campaign starts next month.

RESOLVE will harden in the bush if the political pundits are correct and today's election gives The Greens the balance of power in the Upper House.

We will be at war. Make no mistake about it. Victoria will be a state divided and a state in conflict.

If the predicted results of the election translate into reality, giving The Greens four or five Upper House seats and one in the Lower House then it will become clear that the second four year term of the Bracks Government ushered in a tragedy for Victoria.

It's claimed that proportional representation is more democratic. Would someone please explain to me how allowing inner city based Members of Parliament (which The Green members will be) to control what happens in country Victoria is democratic?

The time is coming when country Victoria will be forced to seize control of its own destiny. Our representation has been stolen from us, our voting power overwhelmed by country areas being tacked on to heavily populated urban centres in Upper House seats.

The next four years could be turmoil, unprecedented in Victorian politics. Go and read The Greens policies and you'll know why.

THE visitor from the creepy porn site who appeared in our referred stats this week can take his/her presence elsewhere. It's not welcome here.

THE Victorian election is on tomorrow and a Galaxy poll in today's Herald Sun forecasts another big win for Labor with just a 2.5 per cent swing against the State Government.

That's bad news for country Victoria, tragic news, if it translates into reality. But, I don't think Bracks is travelling that well. I'm still optimistic and I think country Victoria is going to punish this government

If you read this before you head out to vote remember that Labor is stealing your rights over your own land via its native vegetation laws, stealing your water rights, removing your parental rights via its child employment legislation, removing your access to public land which you own, refusing outright to update our water infrastructure, charging you outrageous land taxes and stamp duty on your property and creating more and more national parks which this state cannot afford.

Bracks is a disaster for Victoria. He has to go. Consider what he said this week about alpine grazing and The Alpine National Park.

"This is a decision we have made to protect that environment for generations and generations of young Victorians so they can enjoy the great environment in our alpine areas."

He must be blind. He must not have seen the 1.2 million hectares of blackened and charred forests, the burned out high plains from which cattle were removed 15 years ago and the swift regeneration and proliferation of introduced weeds. He must never have heard the wild dogs howling on the ridge tops nor seen sambar deer browsing in the parks in numbers that cattle never have.

If his version of management is what he calls protecting the environment then the alps are doomed to a never ending cycle of wildfire, destroying biodiversity, ruining water quality and wrecking forever what was once our most magnificent natural asset.

We're facing a water crisis in Victoria and while Bracks blames it on the mythical 1 in 1000 year drought his environment minister, widely known as Twitter, blames it all on global warming.

Very convenient excuses aimed at masking this government's failure and outright refusal to update our water infrastructure in line with the needs of a growing population.

THE media is billing me as The Last Mountain Cattleman or The Last Man From Snowy River.

True as that might be right now in terms of possession of grazing licences and entitlements, it's a privilege that will only be fleeting as far as I'm concerned. The last of them for the moment, perhaps. But we're not at the end of the track yet.

The Mountain Cattlemen haven't joined the ranks of the dearly departed as will be evident to everyone on Monday when more than 500 horsemen and women descend on Parliament House for the second time in two years.

We said last year the battle was just beginning and we meant it. The Men From Snowy River are alive and well and if Victorians get together and give Bracks the boot he truly deserves next week the battle will be won very quickly.

If he survives Mountain Cattlemen are prepared for a long campaign of which I will be a part. We'll survive for as long as it takes and fight right up until the day this government departs. And we'll make his last term in government more unpleasant than he ever imagined it might be.

Ned Kelly spoke of colonial stratagem. Around 126 years have passed since then but let no one doubt that we are more than capable of developing some bush stratagem that will open the eyes not only of the Bracks Government but of the entire ALP and the green movement.

The Bracks Government is like a mob of unproductive dry cows. Sooner or later they'll be driven from office and we'll be right behind them cracking the whips.

STEVE Bracks has promised to ditch an investigation he instigated and immediately ban all timber harvesting in forest near Goolengook, East Gippsland, if his government is re-elected next week.

Goolengook has long been the home of a camp of feral primates who seem to fancy themselves as being elves of the kind described in Tolkein's Lord Of The Rings while looking more like the orcs in Peter Jackson's movies.

Bracks was in East Gippsland yesterday to announce plans to end harvesting in more than 33,000 hectares of forest. Timber industry supporters said it was a cowardly move, while some political pundits thought it was a sign of government concern that its grip on power was becoming shaky after The Greens entered into some slick preference deals.

In another green inspired move yesterday Bracks also announced plans for yet another national park, this one near Portland.

The National party wasn't pleased about the dismissal of the Goolengook investigation, notwithstanding the fact that it promised to be no more than yet another whitewash by the Victorian Environment Assessment Council, which, ironically, was meeting yesterday to discuss its plans for a national park in the River Red Gum Country.

It wasn't so long ago that I reported the VEAC plans on this blog only to be met by a chorus of protest from the councillors who insisted they weren't investigating a new national park.

However, ALP election policy promises just such a park if VEAC recommends it.

Whom do we believe, the Bracks Government or its VEAC puppets or do we just conclude that they are all liars?

JUST so that readers of this blog understand that our Supreme Court action against DSE is not a political stunt I am posting the following table which shows our estimated court costs.

This is the cost of justice in Victoria under the Bracks Government. We're funding the fight out of our own pockets and this means more years of constant hard work for my long suffering wife, Louise, who on many occasions has worked seven nights a week to keep us afloat. Hers is a stressful occupation - she is an ICU nurse.

Of course we're angry that we have to seek court relief yet again to protect our legitimate rights but I am outraged that my wife, who has missed so much, including the opportunity of spending precious childhood years with our kids should yet again be faced with the prospect of never ending work for no just reason. It's not just soul destroying, it's life destroying. Our kids have grown up in an atmosphere of stress - during their short lives we have been through terrible drought, been burned out by bushfires and suffered unforgivable harrassment from the conservation bureaucracy.

Lou and I want to say thanks to all of you who have offered us support. We just believe it is our responsibility to meet the costs ourselves and one way or another we'll manage it. A election defeat for Bracks would bring a lot of relief.

We just hope and pray that November 25 brings the end of this corrupt lot of dishonest, destructive, branch stacking hypocrites.

SUPREME COURT PROCEEDINGS COSTS ESTIMATE


Task
Estimate

Taking initial instructions, reviewing documents, instructing Counsel, filing fees on originating motion and summons, preparing relevant affidavit material, filing and serving proceedings etc

$6,000-$8,000

Counsel Fees on preparing and reviewing documents, preparing claim, including providing advice
$3,500 - $5,000

Preparation and attendance at first directions hearings on return of summons

$2,000

Preparation and attendance at further directions hearings (say another 3)

$3,000

Preparation and review of any further pleadings/court documents eg defence, preparation of further affidavits etc

$4,000

Discovery (including preparation of affidavit of documents and reviewing all necessary discovery of Dept)

$3000 - $5000

General preparation in matter including preparation for and attendance at a mediation (if mediation ordered)

$10,000 - $15,000

Preparation for trial - drafting of affidavit evidence/statements, liaising with Counsel on relevant issues including preparation of legal submissions, all other preparation for trial.

$10,000-$20,000

Preparation for trial – Counsel (say 3 days at $2,500 per day)

$7,500

Attendance at trial for a 3 day hearing


Solicitor - $7,500
Counsel - $7,500


TOTAL:
$65,000 - $85,000

THE bushwalking fraternity is a worry for those of us who are working to keep access to public land open to all user groups.

Low impact bushwakling is apparently the only acceptable human activity in the bush. For members of the tree hugging religion the bush is akin to a mosque and you should remove your shoes before entering.

We wondered who would be next on the removal list after the Mountain Cattlemen and it's becoming plain now that tour operators are the new target.

"Why should commercial businesses profit from damaging our precious and fragile national parks?" ask these low impact practitioners.

The answer is simple, stupid. It's tourism. A huge proportion of our tourism industry relies on the natural environment and in turn a huge number of people rely on the industry to experience it.

The head of Tasmania's National Parks Association (which isn't an official body, just another bunch of green busybodies) is a bloke named Chris Bell.

He revealed the new agenda this week when he took public exception to a tour operator who takes camping trips into Freycinet National Park and offers gourmet meals. He says it "belittles" the park and offends bushwalkers .

Now, when you think about it jealousy is truly a curse. After a day or so of suffering the foil packed, freeze dried Paddy Pallin chow even the most ardent bushwalker would probably kill for a decent feed.

I don't know how many used and discarded foil packs I've found on my runs but I reckon there would be enough to fill a couple of big rubbish bins. Despite their claims bushwalkers are as prone to littering as anyone else.

Commercial tour operators are generally a different kettle of fish. Most of them are totally in love with the environments in which they operate or they wouldn't be in the business. In addition they need a permit to operate on public land and the conditions are strict. Anyone who breaks the rules stands a fair chance of losing his permit.

The argument against them is just another dose of green poison. It's selfishness and the green eyed monster at work again.