National park will preserve land

I recently saw a copy of a letter from Max Schier, (Country News, April 18).

I was sorry to read that he seems so ill-disposed towards the camping group that met in Barmah State Forest from March 27.

We camped at Barmah for several days and have camped with friends at many other sites along the Murray in the past.

I'm not sure why your correspondent has the impression that the creation of a national park will lock away the area from visitors.

We have camped in many national parks in Australia.

As far as we are concerned, the national park system opens areas for visitors to enjoy and provides facilities to make the visit safe and enjoyable.

Like Max, we value the red gum wetlands of the Murray River system. Like him, and many other visitors to these areas, we enjoy fishing, boating and walking.

We love the ancient trees and the birds which breed in them. We've enjoyed finding wildflowers in spring.

Sadly, over the years we have been visiting these areas we have observed many changes for the worse.

Loss of water, cattle grazing and logging have all contributed to the gradual degradation of the red gum wetlands. A national park will provide improved management and, hopefully, revitalise the threatened forests.

I hope that all who value this area can work together to seek the best protection for an area we clearly love and enjoy.

Patricia Cameron

Montmorency

We must act now to save every drop

The recent water yields report from CSIRO highlights why the Northern Victoria Infrastructure Project is so crucial to the future of northern Victoria.

The report predicted that inflows into the Goulburn River could be reduced by between 14 per cent and 18 per cent based on climate change estimates.

With experts predicting a future like this, we cannot afford to lose another drop of water through ageing and decaying infrastructure.

The $1 billion investment in Stage 1 of the project to modernise the Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District will capture about 225 billion litres of water for local irrigators, rivers and Melbourne.

It will provide this vital region with more water and a positive future as we meet the challenge of climate change.

With everyone else in the state saving water at home, it is crucial that the state's largest water distribution system does the same.

We are living in a changing world. Although we can't control nature, we can prepare ourselves as much as possible for times of even greater water scarcity.

Richard Guy

NVIRP chairman

Pipe propaganda finds city opposition

I am writing re: John Brumby's north-south pipeline.

The Victorian Government's policy on the pipeline - which is locally known as The Brumby Disaster - is one of point-blank stupidity, arrogance and lies.

One could be forgiven for thinking they ratted through a rubbish bin somewhere and found some half-baked idiot script for a horror movie and just retitled it The Victorian Government Policy on Water.

The so-called Foodbowl Modernisation upgrades, according to many analysts, have absolutely no hope whatsoever of delivering such unbelievable water savings; no, wait a minute, I think the term that's used is create new water - this is truly miraculous.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, for its next trick, the government will part the Red Sea.

The fact is that the Foodbowl Modernisation hoax has more trickery and smoke and mirrors than a two-bit sideshow magician.

It is truly a Trojan horse on steroids.

And does anybody really believe that, if the pipe went in, Brumby would only take 75 Gl to Melbourne and not take more, and that farmers would get their equal 75 Gl?

Well, according to John Corboy of the Foodbowl Unlimited, we just have to trust the politicians.

John, would they be the same ones who, before the last election, said they would not be taking water from the north to Melbourne?

The government wants people in Melbourne to believe that country people think that this Foodbowl and pipeline madness is terrific and we all welcome it with open arms.

But now they're slowly losing that battle as people in Melbourne learn the truth.

Last month I led a convoy of utes to Yarra Glen to protest against the Brumby Disaster while Plug The Pipe was making submissions to the Environmental Impact Committee.

I was surprised at the number of Melbourne people who were having a day out and went out of their way to come over and say the truth about this north-south pipeline was just starting to filter through and that they understood Plug The Pipe's opposition to it; and they asked us to keep up the good work.

Evidence now supports that there is serious in-fighting in the Labor Party and that the pressure is mounting; in particular, regional Labor politicians are being snubbed and treated as optional extras.

People will have the opportunity on June 3 to join with Plug The Pipe and deliver the message personally to Parliament House and John Brumby, that we absolutely reject the Brumby disaster.

Wade Northausen

Echuca

Calf treatment is not dairying's only ugliness

I'm writing to express my views on the story "Calf treatment concern" (Rebecca Tampion, Country News, May 5).

While I appreciate Country News' efforts to draw attention to this issue, I would like to point out that the bobby calf industry isn't the only ugly side of the dairy industry.

In fact, there is no good side - it's all ugly.

Cows raised for dairy production are crammed by the hundreds into filthy, dimly-lit sheds or mud-filled lots for their entire lives.

Painful udder infections and lameness are common occurrences.

In order to keep producing milk, cows are constantly impregnated.

Within days or even hours after their birth, calves are taken away from their mothers - a stressful and traumatic ordeal for both.

Male calves are sold to veal farms where they are confined to crates so small they can barely move.

Dairy cows on today's farms produce about four times as much milk as they did just 25 years ago.

Once the cows are no longer able to produce milk, they are sent to slaughter.

The dairy industry is cruel and profit-driven, and one that any compassionate person wouldn't want to support.

I urge your readers to join me in exploring delicious dairy alternatives including milk, ice-cream, cheese and yoghurt made with soy or rice - they taste just like the real thing, but without the cruelty and cholesterol.

Michael Stirling

Lockridge, WA