Copy of an open email
to Mr Peter Moore, Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service, regarding Queensland
Park's intentions to shoot the remaining brumbies in the Kroombit Tops National
Park, Queensland.
Also below:
Information from Environment Australia stating that removal of cattle and
horses is underway.
Copy of letter from Mr James Purtill, Director General of the Environmental
Protection Agency,Queensland, stating that ground shooting of the remaining
animals is now being undertaken.
Email sent 8th January 2003
Att. Mr Peter Moore, District Manager
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Rockhampton Office
Queensland, Australia
Ph 07 49360529
Dear Sir,
Attached is a copy of the letter from Mr James Purtill, Director General of
Environmental Protection Agency,
in response to my questions on brumbies in the Boyne Valley area (Kroombit
Tops National Park), Queensland.
Yesterday I phoned Brett Dowling, Acting Ranger in Charge, to ask him some
questions, however he
advised that he would not discuss this issue as it is politically sensitive.
He advised me to contact you.
Mr Purtill in his letter states that mustering and trapping of cattle and
brumbies was carried out using various
methods with the use of horses, dogs, a helicopter and trapping.
It is also stated that ground shooting of the remaining animals is now being
undertaken.
Could you please answer the following questions at your earliest convenience.
This email and your response will be displayed on
our web site.
1. What is the estimated number of surviving brumbies in the Park?
2. Why do the remaining Kroombit Tops brumbies need to be removed or
shot?
Please quote the relative legislation.
3. Do the remaining brumbies cause any environmental damage to the
Park?
If so, could you please forward a copy of the environmental impact study.
4. Who owns the Kroombit Tops brumbies?
5. Does Aboriginal Native Title exist over the Kroombit Tops National
Park?
If so, were the local Aborigines consulted or advised over the removal of
brumbies?
6. Please advise of your department's programme and proposed time frame
to shoot the remaining
Kroombit Tops brumbies.
7. Could you please forward me a copy of the approved Kroombit Tops
National Park Feral Animal
Control Programme.
8. Could you please forward me a copy of Queensland National Parks
& Wildlife Service's (QPWS)
procedures/guidelines for shooting brumbies.
9. What types of guns and ammunition are used for shooting brumbies?
10. Does QPWS employ professional shooters, or are QPWS staff used
to shoot brumbies?
11. If QPWS staff are used to shoot brumbies, what training do staff
receive, and what are their qualifications?
12. If QPWS staff are used to shoot brumbies, are they classed as professional
shooters?
13. Please forward me contact details of staff involved in mustering
and trapping brumbies in the Park.
14. Will the Park be closed when shooting of brumbies is commenced?
15. Why does the QPWS use the method of ground shooting brumbies whilst
the New South Wales National
Parks & Wildlife Service states that ground shooting should not be used
??
16. How many brumbies have been removed from the Park?
17. Has ground shooting of brumbies been used in the past?
18. Has aerial shooting of brumbies from a helicopter been used?
If so, was the park closed at the time?
19. Were dogs used in the mustering of brumbies, or were they used
only on cattle?
20. Was a helicopter used in the mustering of brumbies, or was it used
only on cattle?
If a helicopter was used for mustering brumbies, how often was it used?
21. Were any brumbies injured or killed during mustering? If so, how
many?
22. Were any injured brumbies destroyed for humane reasons?
23. Where were mustered and trapped brumbies sent?
24. Was the RSPCA consulted when mustering and trapping brumbies?
25. Please forward me details of contractors and neighbours involved
in mustering and trapping brumbies in the Park.
26. How many brumbies exist in adjacent State Forest Reserves?
27. Does QPWS intend to shoot these brumbies also?
28. Why do the State Forest Reserve brumbies need to be removed or
shot?
29. Please quote the relative legislation for State Forest Reserve
in regards to the removal of brumbies.
30. Please advise of your department's programme and proposed time
frame to shoot the State Forest Reserve brumbies.
Regards
Lyall Sempf
Brumby Watch Australia
Web: www.brumbywatchaustralia.com
Please find attached below a section from Queensland State Government Hansard
- Wed 1 August 2001
------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: Sections of interest are shown in bold.
Parliament of Queensland -
Hansard - Wednesday 1 Aug 2001 page 2114
NATIONAL PARKS - RIDING - RECREATIONAL RESERVES
Dr KINGSTON (Maryborough-Ind) (6.08 p.m.): I move-
That this House calls on the government to honour the commitment of the Bicentennial National Trail and the promise made by the previous Environment Minister in relation to the RFA that as a result of government policy, there would be no net loss of access to the national park by recreational .......................
................... All up, the Bicentennial National
Trail is alive and well. It continues to satisfy the needs and aspirations
of many Australian and international trekkers. It has much potential, but
the long-term future of a trail that covers three states and the ACT can only
be assured by positive commitments from all the involved states.
A senior national park ranger has informed a meeting of the Boyne Valley
Forest Working Group that they intend to deviate the horse riders from the
national trail, off the tablelands and through dry, featureless forest to
the east and west. The reason for this deviation is because of the pathogens
on the horses hooves that contaminate the water in the streams as the horses
cross. According to the ranger, this will have a deadly impact on two species
of endangered frogs and will contaminate the water for human consumption in
the Callide and Awoonga dams some 50 to 60 kilometres further downstream.
A number of wild brumbies have inhabited the tablelands for 100 years or more.
If the pathogens were going to kill the endangered frogs, they would have
become extinct a long time ago. Indeed, the frogs were only discovered in
the late 1980s. National parks officers intend to shoot out the brumbies and
scrubbers as soon as possible.
In contrast, they intend to increase the number of four-wheel drive day trippers
to the area, but do not intend to provide any toilet facilities for them.
Mr Welford said, 'We should be aiming at no lesser public access.' The guiding
principle, as stated in the protected area ................
BIODIVERSITY
Action Plans & Conservation Overviews
The Action Plan for Australian Frogs
By
Michael J. Tyler
with the assistance of the Editorial Advisory Committee
Wildlife Australia, April 1997
0 642 2140 0X
Recovery Outline No. 26: Kroombit Tinker Frog
1. Family Leptodactylidae
2. Scientific Name Taudactylus pleione
3. English Name Kroombit Tinker Frog, Pleione's Torrent Frog
4. Intraspecific taxa None.
5. Species survival status
Vulnerable. Concern about this species is based upon a combination of factors
including its extremely limited geographic distribution, evidence of
declines in four of five congeners, and hence, because of ecological similarities,
assumptions that there is a high likelihood that this species is threatened.
6. Former distribution Presumed to be similar to current distribution.
7. Current distribution
Kroombit Tops State Forest Scientific Area No 48, Kroombit Plateau in southern
Queensland.
8. Habitat
Occurs along rocky permanent and semi-permanent streams in rainforest or wet
sclerophyll/rainforest transition forest at an altitude of 800-850m. Known
suitable habitat currently totals 47 ha (Cunningham and James 1994).
9. Reasons for decline There is no evidence
of decline, but see (5) above.
Stated here: "There is no evidence
for decline in frog numbers."
10. Conservation reserves on which species occurs None.
11. Other public lands on which species occurs Qld: Kroombit Tops State Forest Scientific Area No 48.
12. Other land on which species occurs Unknown.
13. Is knowledge about species adequate for objectives
and actions to be defined accurately?
No. Little is known on this species.
14. Recovery Plan objectives
The draft recovery plan aims to significantly improve the long term conservation
status of the species by:
14.1. Surveying and locating all populations of T.
pleione.
14.2. Researching the ecology of the species, including reproductive biology,
population dynamics, diet, and habitat use.
14.3. Ameliorating threatening processes, especially fire and livestock.
14.4. Monitoring population densities.
14.5. Ensuring that conservation of T. pleione is taken into account in all
relevant land management decisions by all levels of government and the community.
15. Management actions completed or under way
15.1. An assessment of the distribution and conservation
status of this species (Cunningham and James 1994) was carried out as part
of a recovery program for threatened frogs of Qld and northern NSW (Co-ordinator:
K.R. McDonald, Qld Department of Environment). Follow up surveys were conducted
in 1994 and 1995.
15.2. A draft recovery plan has been prepared by
A. Borsboom (Qld Department of Natural Resources), J. Clarke (Qld Department
of Environment) and
M. Cunningham (University of Queensland) for the threatened frogs of Qld and
northern NSW Recovery Team.
15.3. A draft Species Management Profile has been prepared by A. Borsboom
(Qld Department of Natural Resources) to provide Qld Department of Natural
Resources forest managers with information about the species and current management
requirements.
15.4. Scientific Area No. 48 has been fenced and removal of cattle and horses
is underway.
Stated here: ...
removal of cattle and horses is underway
16. Management actions required
The draft recovery plan includes the following actions:
16.1. Further distributional surveys.
16.2. Long-term population monitoring.
16.3. Research into ecology including, reproductive biology, population dynamics,
diet and habitat use.
16.4. Research into identifying, quantifying and ameliorating threatening
processes (livestock, fire, visitors, water quality).
16.5. Continue removal of livestock from Scientific Area No 48.
16.6. Dissemination of information to the public, government land managers
and planners.
17. Organisations responsible for conservation of species Qld Department of Environment.
18. Other organisations involved Qld Department of Natural Resources, University of Queensland.
19. Can recovery plan be carried out with existing resources? No.
Full costing for species recovery will be addressed in the final Recovery Plan. A preliminary estimate includes research (salary, travel and materials for 3 years) $150K; fire workshop $2.5K, water quality monitoring ($2.5 K for 5 years) $12.5K, survey and monitoring ($10K for 5 years) $50K.
Total $215K
References:
Cunningham, M. and James, C. 1994. Conservation status and distribution of Taudactylus pleione. Unpublished report to the Queensland Department of Environment, Australian Nature Conservation Agency and Queensland Department of Primary Industry - Forestry.
Herpetological authorities consulted:
A. Borsboom, J. Clarke, M. Cunningham, G.V. Czechura, J.-M. Hero, K.R. McDonald.