Updates on Watchdog articles

Previous Article:
A deer price paid by Mountain Cattlemen?

In 1999 young Gary Paterson was walking his dog on the outskirts of Warburton's forest. A careless deer shooter killed him at close range. After the killing the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), who control deer hunting in Victoria, started an examination of deer shooting practices. Their report was released in February. ... more

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Lobby group wants end to mountain cattle grazing 'lies'

Published on ABC Online, 23 Aug 2005
The Country Voice lobby group wants the Victorian Government to stop spreading what it says is misinformation about the future of mountain cattle grazing.

It wants Labor backbenchers to attend a meeting with cattlemen set for Merrijig, near Mansfield in the north-east.

The Government cancelled cattle grazing licences in the Alpine National Park in June, but says there is room for 10,000 head of cattle to graze in nearby forest. But Country Voice says there is only room for a tenth of that number.

Chairman Bob Richardson says questions asked of cattlemen prove Labor MPs are ignorant of the forest they expect to accommodate grazing.

"The bureaucrats have asked them to identify where these areas are, so even though the politicians are putting these lies out they don't know, and it was observable in Parliament, too, when the mountain cattlemen bill was being debated, they were just repeating these stock phrases they'd been given by the Government media office and none of them really knew what they were talking about," he said.

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Original Watchdog Article:
Victorian Bushfire Inquiry pays dividends

The Initial Discussion Paper on Integrated Municipal Fire Management Planning is on its way. The IMFMP Team is still locked away writing the paper but due to the complex nature and number of issues to be analysed, our anticipated release date for end of August will move out until mid September. As a consequence, the period for comment will close at the end of October 2005.
August FirePlan Update available here.

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