Wishy Washy Words On Wild Brumbies
The Victorian Government has failed to confirm that no wild brumbies have been killed and removed from Victorian National Parks.
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, has pursued the matter in the Victorian Parliament.
Her questioning follows advertising on the Parks Victoria Alpine National Park website that an `Aerial shooting operation’ was underway between 24-28th May 2021.
Despite writing to DELWP Secretary, John Bradley, the Australian Brumby Association (ABA) remains without clarification about brumby shootings and a contract to remove the animals shot by Parks Victoria.
Mrs McArthur said that, other than one specific answer, the response letter from DELWP is vague.
“The rest of the letter uses the same linguistic contrivances to hide the reality of the policy – which is to shoot horses, and in some areas to eradicate the brumby population entirely,” she told the parliament.
The response letter from DELWP affirms the Feral Horse Strategic Action Plan 2021 and its intent to rehome feral horses where possible, use the ‘most humane, safe and effective horse control techniques’ and ‘conduct all horse management operations according to strict standards for animal welfare and public safety.’
Mrs McArthur says that’s code for “shooting them”.
“Without prior knowledge, no reader would understand what that actually means,” she said.
While the DELWP letter denies any specific shooting and carcass-removal allegations, the unwieldly and confusing terminology is intended to blur clarity around the issue.
“’Planning and implementation of the feral horse management program is underway.’ What does this mean?” Mrs McArthur asked the Minister for Environment.
Mrs McArthur has also asked the Minister to confirm that a contract for carcass removal has not been awarded and that there is no ongoing operation to control the wild horse population in Victorian National Parks.
“It would be further helpful,” she added “to avoid speculation and to promote trust through transparency, for the Minister to provide the latest timetable for any measure related, specifically to horses, planned in the future.”
09 June 2021