Snowy River feral horses die of starvationThis is a very graphic article, a horse dead of starvation near the Snowy River in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP). The image is one that feral horse advocates do not want us to see – animals suffering and dying.

It's hard to know the truth. Certainly horses have died of starvation as reported, but is this typical over time and geography? On balance, I think so. The deaths were reported by Richard Swain, who has run guided river tours for more than 20 years. He is also a member of the Invasive Species Council. In my view he has more than adequate experience and judgement to assess matters.

A contrary view has been taken by Peter Cochran, a former state MP who runs horse treks in the Snowy Mountains. He is quoted as saying "If you were to go into [the park] you will see there is an abundance of feed throughout the majority of the park. There are some areas that are stressed and where there has been less rain, but again that's part of nature." I cannot say for sure that there is feed in most of the park. Immediately after winter – indeed with snow on the higher

peaks at publication of the article on 8 October 2018 – KNP would be very green. It would be useful to see how KNP looks in late summer and count the number of dead horses. This needs to be measured and assessed over time. I agree with his last words – differing vegetation is part of nature. What Mr Cochrane sees as "feed" is actually native plants protected in a national park, which exists to protect them. To define a national park as "feed" is to start thinking of parks as paddocks. This is unacceptable.

Due to his horse trekking business, Mr Cochran may not be as objective as desired. I know that the science over the last 10-15 years shows that horses starve in winter, with cold wet weather hastening their death. BWA has had articles about feral horses in the August 2016 and June 2018 editions discussing this issue. The environmental damage caused by feral horses is significant, taking NPWS resources. There is nothing "natural" about horses in an Australian landscape competing for food, especially at times of drought. Horses are an introduced animal, significantly different from all native animals in their size, hoof hardness and

Trapped horses near Dead Horse Gap, Kosciuszko National ParkMatt McClelland

BWA December 2018 | 53

Scientists call for feral horse protection to be droppedThis is much clearer than the above; it's science, conclusions based on evidence and peer reviewed. The article says:

"Dozens of scientists today signed a new accord, calling on the New South Wales Government to overturn the so-called Brumby Bill which handed new protections to the wild horses in the Kosciuszko National Park based on their cultural significance."

Dr Dick Williams from Charles Darwin University said that an emotionally engaging message is needed. He is quoted as saying, "What science has to do, is to sell the beauty of the Australian Alps." This will not be easy. Feral horses are part of our culture, and this needs to be reviewed in light of contemporary values. The cost of allowing feral horses to continue to degrade alpine and other regions is significant.

The Snowy River has been damned, er, dammed, and is now much smaller than before. The following is the start of a poem, The man from Snowy Trickle.

There was movement on the high plains, for

the scientists had shown

That the horses trampled hard the soft grass

land.

And had caused extensive damage – parks

budget it was blown,

So conservationists they had to take a stand.

The did not act for money, saving nature was

their only goal.

They called upon the government to change

Save the future for our children, and save

your mortal soul

Then later look proudly on the mountain range.

Read another article that talks about similar themes to the above.

Proposal to change a national park to state forestThe article says:

"Nationals MP Austin Evans is preparing to introduce a bill to state parliament to return the Murray Valley National Park in southern New South Wales to state forest."

This is an unprecedented suggestion. National parks are not created on a whim. There's a fairly long process to consider the merits of the possible park, 30 years for Murray Valley NP. While jobs are important, parks have benefits that may be hard to quantify, and do not have the appeal to the broader community that jobs do.

For example, biodiversity does not rate on most balance sheets. There's no immediate dollars in this. However, the science is clear: biodiversity is essential. Another aspect that is often not considered is the quality, quantity and timing of water. A pristine forest slowly absorbs precipitation and slowly lets this run off, like a sponge. Logged areas have precipitation rapidly run off, causing siltation and loss of soil nutrients. Water was one reason that logging ceased in a number of Victorian areas.

So the matter must be considered holistically, with all costs over time. One example is the Heyfield logging mill in Gippsland, Victoria. Due to dwindling supplies, the mill was no longer viable and the Victorian government bought the mill for around $50 million. There are 250 jobs at the mill, so it works out at about $2 million a job. This is not a final figure as the mill staff spend in the community.

It should be noted that if the mill was run sustainably, perhaps from pine plantations, then the problem would not have arisen. For as long as I can recall, conservationists have been suggesting pine plantations.

One Murray Valley local says that visitor numbers have dropped. The change in conditions could well be due to the visitor practices being unsustainable and damaging the land. We need to think longer than the short term, and consider what we are leaving for our children. I've made short-term sacrifices to achieve long-term goals. After many years this has paid off very well.

54 | BWA December 2018