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A Victorian Coalition Government will reinstate strategic cattle grazing to reduce the risk of fire in Victoria’s high country, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said today.

Announcing the policy with Leader of The Nationals Peter Ryan at the Mountain Cattlemen Association’s annual gathering in Boisdale, Mr Walsh said the Brumby Government had thrown Victoria’s graziers on the scrapheap.

"Victoria’s mountain cattlemen are an Australian icon and deserve better than the arrogant and dismissive treatment they have received from the Brumby Government," Mr Walsh said.

"A Coalition Government will restore Victoria’s rich alpine history by reinstating strategic cattle grazing in the Victorian high country.

"Cattle grazing can be an important tool to reduce fire risk where appropriate on Crown land.

"The role of grazing in reducing the frequency and severity of fire on public land has been ignored by the Brumby Government," Mr Walsh said.

Mr Walsh said the cattlemen’s annual gathering had helped preserve long-held traditions.

"Since the ban on grazing in the high country, the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association has worked extremely hard to ensure their long-held traditions are not forgotten," Mr Walsh said.

"Unless cattle are allowed to return to Victoria’s alpine country, a vital part of Victoria’s history will be lost.

"The cattlemen have cared for the land for generations and understand the high country like few others can.

"The Brumby Government disregarded years of local knowledge and practical experience when it ended 150 years of tradition by banishing cattle from the Alpine National Park.

"A Coalition Government is committed to the responsible management of Victoria’s public land and reducing fire risk," Mr Walsh said.

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The Brumby Government must lift the veil of secrecy on the deal it has struck with Kevin Rudd to fund Stage 2 of irrigation infrastructure upgrades in northern Victoria, Shadow Minister for Country Water Resources and Deputy Leader of the Nationals Peter Walsh said today.

 Mr Walsh said the Brumby Government had objected to the public release of documents detailing the promises it gave to the Rudd Government in order to secure funding for Stage 2 of the Foodbowl Modernisation project.

The Victorian Coalition lodged a Freedom of Information request in August last year with the Rudd Government for documents exchanged between the Federal and Victorian Governments, but the release of the documents has been blocked by the intervention of the Brumby Government.

"The Foodbowl Modernisation project has been shrouded in secrecy and deceit from the start," Mr Walsh said.

"Victorians deserve to know the full details of what John Brumby has committed to.

"The Coalition believes the documents show the Brumby Government has promised the Commonwealth a guaranteed 100 billion litres of water from Stage 2 of the modernisation, irrespective of the amount of savings achieved from the irrigation upgrades."

Mr Walsh said the Brumby Government had publicly stated that savings from Stage 2 of the project would be split equally between irrigators and the Commonwealth.

"It appears the government is preparing to break yet another promise by giving 100 billion litres to the Commonwealth, even in the very likely event that the forecast savings are not achieved.

"Instead of receiving their equal share, food producers will receive what is left over and if less than 100 billion litres is saved, they will be left short.

"Labor has refused to release the business cases for the Foodbowl Modernisation project – a summary of the stage 1 business case was promised before Christmas, but even this has not seen the light of day.

"Nor will the Brumby Government commit to an independent review of its water savings protocol.

"If John Brumby wants to retain any credibility, he must uphold the principles of democracy and come clean with Victorians on the details of his deal with Kevin Rudd," Mr Walsh said.

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The Brumby Government’s arrogance and incompetence on water policy has been exposed by revelations Melbourne is unlikely to need water from the north-south pipeline.

 Shadow Minister for Country Water Resources Peter Walsh said Water Minister Tim Holding had today moved to justify the project on the basis it would ease water restrictions in Melbourne.

"The incompetent Brumby Government is sacrificing the health of northern Victoria’s drought-stricken river systems in an attempt to deceive voters in an election year," Mr Walsh said.

"The north-south pipeline will forever remind Victorians of the folly and incompetence of the Brumby Government.

"The latest revelations confirm the long-held view of the Victorian Coalition that the project is a white elephant and an enormous waste of taxpayers’ money.

"Even if Melbourne received the equivalent of the lowest rainfall on record, the city’s storages now hold enough water to supply the city until the Wonthaggi desalination plant comes on line in December 2011."

Mr Walsh said very little of the water to be pumped down the north-south pipeline this year would come from savings made through the Food Bowl Modernisation project.

"Mr Holding is once again misleading Victorians by claiming the water coming down the north-south pipeline is because of Melbourne’s investment in irrigation infrastructure in northern Victoria," Mr Walsh said.

"In fact, the 75 billion litres of water being pumped to Melbourne this year has been looted from the environment.

"The only reason the Brumby Government is persisting with its plan to pump water to Melbourne is to

avoid embarrassment for wasting $750 million of taxpayers’ money in an election year.

"The river red gum forests the government swore to protect will go without water so Labor can hoodwink voters at this year’s election over its water failures."

 Mr Walsh said the Brumby Government had demonstrated it had no intention of turning off the pipe.

"Melbourne water businesses are under orders to run the pipeline at maximum capacity if Melbourne’s storages are less than 65 per cent full in autumn.

"The Brumby Government is putting its own political future ahead of the environment and Victoria’s drought-stricken food producers," Mr Walsh said.

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