Brumby cull to go ahead: Parks Victoria wins right to ground shoot
Deer outnumber horses by at least 300 to one in the Alpine National Park, but Parks Victoria wants to eradicate them.
THE Australian Brumby Alliance has lost its bid to stop Parks Victoria ground shooting wild horses in the state's fire-ravaged national parks.
The ABA claimed the science underpinning Parks Victoria’s intended eradication of Victoria’s Brumby populations from the Bogong High Plains was flawed, arguing most of the damage was caused by deer, which outnumber horses 300 to one.
Justice Michael O’Bryan ruled in favour of Parks Victoria, clearing the way for it to start shooting horses as part of its parks management plan.
ABA president Jill Pickering said: “We’ll continue fighting for the Brumbies, their small populations in Victoria’s Eastern Alps are an irreplaceable part of Australia’s cultural heritage.
“But today’s court decision puts the future of Victoria’s Brumbies in the hands of Parks Victoria.
“We may become the last generation that allowed the Brumbies to be relegated into the history books. Now thousands of Brumbies will be slaughtered by Parks Victoria.”
The ABA sought a stay of the orders in the wake of the court’s decision for 28 days, while it mounted an appeal.
Justice O’Bryan stayed his orders for just five calendar days, to enable the ABA that much time to apply for an injunction to restrain the activities of Parks Victoria during the 28-day appeal period.
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