Tuesday, 2 June 2026

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (15:32): ‘Cattlemen care for the High Country’ – that is their slogan, but it is also their lived reality. Last week I took up the opportunity – a very rare opportunity – to travel on horseback to Mount Stirling and indeed to Craig’s Hut with the McCormack family, Bruce, Emily and Cass, who is the fantastic president of the cattlemen’s association. I saw the most beautiful vista, the most beautiful scenery. I saw hunters out deer hunting. I also saw hikers in a different spot hiking. What I did see, which was most distressing, were carpets of smothering blackberry. It is the most beautiful area, and this public land, this space, is being choked with pests and weeds. I want to thank the cattlemen for their kindness, their understanding and their long-term tradition of caring for the High Country.