MEADE AND McARTHUR CALL FOR ROADSIDE DROVING
Member for Western Victoria Region, Bev McArthur and Daniel Meade (councillor and current Mayor of Moyne Shire Council), have jointly called for the transportation of cattle from drought-stricken areas across Australia to graze on Western Victorian roadsides.
Throughout the year in Parliament, Bev McArthur MP raised the issues of bushfire risk created by out-of-control roadside vegetation and the need for state and federal governments to facilitate droving.
Cr Daniel Meade successfully moved a motion on the Moyne Shire Council to write to State Government Ministers about the restrictive and burdensome regulations surrounding the granting of droving permits to drovers and their operation.
Quotes attributable to Bev McArthur MP:
“It breaks my heart when I drive along Western Victorian roadsides and see perfectly good fodder going to waste, which could be consumed by cattle in drought affected areas. Farmers are either having to destroy dying cattle or send valuable breeding stock for slaughter when they could be kept alive on our roadsides.”
“Cr Meade and I have continuously advocated for governments to encourage droving.”
“Opposition to grazing on roadside vegetation is argued on the basis of protecting native vegetation, but as we know from Indigenous burning and wildlife grazing practices, which can be observed at Budj Bim, controlled burning and grazing encourages a rejuvenation of native vegetation as well as minimising bushfire risk.”
“The greatest risk to native vegetation on roadsides, is its suffocation by the introduced grass, phalaris.”
“And in any case, roadsides should be safe places not ‘wildlife corridors’ or ‘conservation zones’. Increasingly, these ‘wildlife corridors’ and wire rope barriers are a recipe for native fauna roadkill.”
Quotes attributable to Cr Daniel Meade:
“The Council approved drover John Wilson to graze NSW cattle on our roadsides last year. However, this experience demonstrated that State and Federal laws need to change for droving to be successful.”
“Mrs McArthur and I call on the Andrews Government to immediately facilitate the transportation of critical breeding stock from New South Wales to the Moyne Shire and ask their departments to assist an activity that the local community supports. The Federal Government could also assist by covering the transportation costs.”
“We are confident local western Victorian farmers would also assist in supporting grazing on our roadsides that would retain valuable breeding stock in Australia.”
ENDS
18 December 2019