Brumby Cull Gets Green Light


Common sense prevails with the Court of appeal ruling that the brumby cull can take place as initially stated. The horse supporters tried to pin all the damage on deer contrary to scientific advice. The same groups are happy to see everything else in the park culled except feral horses.

To maintain numbers in the future, it would be good to see hunters utilised so that the game meat can be harvested.

Victoria’s brumby cull has been given the green light, but a cattleman has pledged to take his fight to save the horses to the highest court in the land.

Yahooreported “Omeo man Philip Maguire lost his bid to stop the state from killing the brumbies in the Alpine National Park at the Court of Appeal on Friday”.

“We’re going to the High Court even if we have to sell our two properties,” Mr Maguire told AAP.

He said he was “disgusted and angry” about the decision to reject the appeal.

“They don’t need to be shot,” he said of the horses.

Instead they could be relocated and Mr Maguire argued the shoots were not humane.

Parks Victoria should have consulted about changes to the control method which included a new “kill policy”, his lawyer Anthony Strahan QC said.

It was a controversial decision and not engaging in community consultation did not allow for a “depth of views” to be expressed, he said.

Mr Maguire had a “special interest” and should have been consulted about the change in plans because he owns land abutting the national park, the brumbies graze on his land and the cull threatens this amenity.

But the judges rejected the argument on Friday.

“The applicant lacks standing and consequently leave to appeal is refused,” Chief Justice Anne Ferguson said.

Mr Maguire was ordered to pay the costs of Parks Victoria.

Parks Victoria chief executive Matthew Jackson welcomed the decision.

“Parks Victoria has an obligation to control invasive species in Victoria’s national parks, including feral horses, which cause long-term and large-scale damage to native alpine plants and animals,” he said.

The state government organisation says the animals damage the fragile alpine environment, including moss beds and fens.

It’s estimated about 5000 brumbies are in the national park.

An earlier hearing heard only 153 of the wild horses have been rehomed.

It is unclear when the proposed cull will start and the justices’ reasons for the decision are expected next week.

 

 

 


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