Julie McLaren wrote that 'any land clearing out in that area [Qld west of the
intensive farming areas] is basically to stop erosion'.
I'm sorry Julie but this ignorant southerner cannot understand how land clearing
stops erosion. I need much more information before I accept that statement. What
condition is the land surface in now and how did it come to be in that
condition? Likewise for the vegetation. How does using bulldozers and chains
result in an improvement in the condition of the land surface and the
vegetation? I guess the farmers pray that it doesn't rain heavily after the
dozers have been through, otherwise what little topsoil still exists will end up
in Lake Eyre. Would it not be far more environmentally friendly to burn the veg
off [perhaps the land is so stuffed that there is no longer enough veg to carry
a fire]? Most [all?] of this land is leasehold, not freehold. The leasees get
the land very cheaply and are supposed to manage the land on behalf of all
Australians in a responsible manner. Instead, in many cases they have exploited
it to the hilt in a very short-sighted manner. I'm sorry, but I feel that we
have all been mightily ripped off!
Peter Menkhorst
In my original posting I failed to mention that I was referring to an area
1,000 klms. West of the intensive farming areas and any land clearing out in
this area is basically to stop erosion. From our personal experience of having
pulled scrub about 10 years ago to stop this erosion I have come to the
conclusion that there has to be a case for selective clearing.Where there was no
grass and a lot of sick trees there is now an abundance of all the native
grasses and thousands of mulga trees, and in this rejuvenated area the wealth of
not only birdlife but all wildlife native to this area has increased tenfold.
Because of the diversity of the types of country in Qld. there can't be one rule
for this huge state, because if selective clearing is not permitted, a lot of
Western Qld, i.e. the hard mulga country, will end up in Lake Eyre or the Murray
River, and because of our droughts and "flooding rains" in this semi arid
region,erosion is part of the cycle.
I am appalled by the large scale clearing of timber which is occurring in some
areas in the pursuit of the almighty dollar but I don't think that it is only
farming communities that are guilty of this practice, and farmers do have to be
allowed to keep in line with the CPI which is the privilege of all other
Australians and how this can be done is a great big question mark.
Moderation and common sense on both sides must be employed to arrive at a
satisfactory result.
Regards,
Julie McLaren
|
Several days ago I posted a message re the above
subject.I worded it very badly and have replied to people who have responded to
my message.
Tonight on the news I heard that there has been no
agreement between the two governments, so we are basically at a
stalemate.
In my original posting I failed to mention
that I was referring to an area 1,000 klms. West of the intensive farming
areas and any land clearing out in this area is basically to stop erosion. From
our personal experience of having pulled scrub about 10 years ago to stop this
erosion I have come to the conclusion that there has to be a case for selective
clearing.Where there was no grass and a lot of sick trees there is now an
abundance of all the native grasses and thousands of mulga trees, and in this
rejuvenated area the wealth of not only birdlife but all wildlife native to this
area has increased tenfold.
Because of the diversity of the types of country in
Qld. there can't be one rule for this huge state, because if selective clearing
is not permitted, a lot of Western Qld, i.e. the hard mulga country, will end up
in Lake Eyre or the Murray River, and because of our droughts and "flooding
rains" in this semi arid region,erosion is part of the cycle.
I am appalled by the large scale clearing of timber
which is occurring in some areas in the pursuit of the almighty dollar but
I don't think that it is only farming communities that are guilty of this
practice, and farmers do have to be allowed to keep in line with the CPI which
is the privilege of all other Australians and how this can be done is a great
big question mark.
Moderation and common sense on both sides must be
employed to arrive at a satisfactory result.
Regards,
Julie McLaren
|
|
