Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter met with the Federal Environment Minister in Canberra today in a bid to end the Federal-State impasse over allowing starving North Queensland cattle to graze on Crown land that was once productive cattle stations.

Mr Katter said that relief over a request for agistment access to national parks being approved, after it was initially denigrated by the Qld Government, evaporated with the Federal Minister’s public rejection of the plan, one of 29 resolutions passed at the recent Grazier Crisis Summit at Richmond.

Following a meeting today with the Indonesian Ambassador about restoring the live export trade, which – along with extreme drought and economic conditions – has contributed to an oversupply of stranded cattle in the north, Mr Katter then met with Environment Minister to advocate on behalf of the stricken North Qld graziers, who face the prospect of shooting their herds or watching them starve to death.

But Mr Katter said the Minister was too beholden to the Labor Party’s obsession with courting the “rabid green” vote to respond to reason.

“Whilst it may seem like a very small issue, it is a very important one for graziers neighbouring national parks – which were previously beef properties until state and federal governments paid millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money for them in the name of conservation,” he said.

“These national parks have been grazed by cattle throughout almost all of their entire history – indeed some wild ‘scrubby’ beasts still remain – so there will be no difference to the flora and fauna from allowing them temporary access to greener pastures.

“In point of fact, national parks in North Qld have actually become ‘nurseries’ for feral animals and weeds since being locked up by governments who are obsessed with pandering to the greenie monster.

“Before they were neglected national parks, the land was cared for by people like First Australians, who have managed it sustainably since time immemorial; or our proud pastoralists, who obviously had a vested interest in maintaining these areas.

“These traditional land managers, who for more than a century have worked hard to battle the threat of feral intruders to their livelihoods and the northern communities they support, have been left powerless and devastated as they watch our magnificent remote areas become pig pens.”

Mr Katter repeated his warning that despite the Federal Government’s commitment of $420m for farmers in crisis to access low-interest loans and $100m in this year’s Budget for other relief measures – without a cent of money yet contributed by the State – much more needed to be done to address Australia’s exponentially escalating agricultural crisis.