A win for brumbies, the environment and Australia’s heritage

Today is an important day for animal welfare in Victoria as the Parliament has ordered that Labor stop their extermination of Victoria’s brumby population.
A motion in the Legislative Council of the Parliament has passed, with Coalition MPs and crossbench MPs voting in favour of cancelling current, and planned, aerial and ground shooting of brumbies.
The motion drew attention to the Government’s failure to adhere to its own management plan which included publishing updated population counts of the wild horses.
It also failed to undertake rehoming and trapping of the horses.
The motion now requires the Labor Government to:
• Publicly provide the current brumby numbers in the Barmah and Alpine National Parks,
• Reverse the suspension of trapping and rehoming operations,
• Provide approval to volunteer brumby rehoming organisations and
• Cancel current or planned brumby shooting operations, especially those leaving carcases to decompose on public land.
Leader of The Nationals, Peter Walsh, said the Liberals and Nationals will end the senseless culling of wild horses.
“Unlike Labor, the Liberals and Nationals will rule out the aerial and ground shooting of brumbies,” Mr Walsh said.
“Only a change in government in November will deliver a humane, sustainable approach to population management of an iconic animal with strong and enduring ties to Australia’s modern history.”
Shadow Minister for Environment, James Newbury, said the motion sent a clear message that cruelty against brumbies must stop.
“Today our Victorian Parliament sided with the Coalition and has said that Labor’s cruelty to animals must stop,” Mr Newbury said.
“The Government’s barbaric shooting of brumbies is unconscionable and shows how dark hearted Labor really is.”
The motion to end the brumby cull of thousands of horses was moved by the Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur and supported by the Member for Northern Victoria Region, Wendy Lovell.
“This is the result that we have been fighting hard to achieve for years now,” Mrs McArthur said.
“The barbarism involved in Labor’s plan and current annihilation is abhorrent.
“The Government, through their agency, Parks Victoria has failed to engage properly in re-homing and other sensible methods of dealing with the issue. Labor’s belligerence had much to do with ideology, rather than reality.”
Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley, applauded the success of the motion.
“This is a story of animal protection, over animal cruelty,” Mr Tilley said.
“It is a story about genuinely caring for Australia’s heritage, its environment and the proper management of both in the future.”
Member for Northern Victoria Region, Wendy Lovell, said the motion clearly indicates to the Minister for the Environment, Lily D’Ambrosio, that the community has had enough.
“This Government, under the baton of this Minister, has failed to adhere to its own plans,” Ms Lovell said.
“In doing this, it has failed any pretence of being true to the animal justice cause.
“This motion is a win for the northern communities who have fought for better – and today – achieved it.
“Protecting the environment, animal welfare and our national heritage can be realised in respectful, considered policies.”