GRAZIERS who have been allowed to access emergency grazing measures in Queensland's national parks during the current drought crisis say their stock are benefiting the environment rather than harming it.
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One of them, Julia Creek's Robert Hacon is scathing of what he describes as a "wet bureaucratic response" from National Parks Minister Steve Dickson to their plea to be allowed to have their stock remain beyond the December 31 deadline.
"We haven't done any harm," he said.
"There's plenty of feed, bull spinifex that's eight feet high and Buffel grass that's overgrown for years.
"You can see where hot fires have destroyed the trees they're trying to protect, black Brigalow, and a lot of precious animals would be getting burnt in those fires as well."
Mr Hacon's 1500 head of young steers and heifers have been grazing on Nairana National Park near Belyando Crossing for the past three months, part of a total consignment of 4000 head at that park.
He rejected the suggestion of full feeding at home at Euraba.
"Once you start doing that, you're going broke at a million miles an hour," he said.
When reminded that the December 31 deadline had been prominently advertised, Mr Hacon said he had his back to the wall and no other option.
"I always thought getting out on that date would be an impossibility - it's Christmas, you've got no staff, it's hot, there's usually been only superficial rain - it's just impossible to do.
"There's always a little bit of rain somewhere, though - if we can hold them til the end of March, we can sell some and make some money to carry on.
"Our livelihoods are at stake here."
Torrens Creek grazier John Gilmore says that it would have to start raining now for him to take his cattle home from Moorrinya National Park.
"I've been here for 75 years and I've never seen it like this," he said.
"We've got no water at home and no feed left."
Home is Cranford station, which shares a 12 mile boundary with Moorrinya.
To enable his 530 cattle to graze a section of the park, he has spent $30,000 on fencing materials and polythene piping to run water into the paddock from his own bores.
When he put his stock on in June they were dying but were now in good order.
"The park hadn't been stocked for 15 years. Some of the feed was a bit old but it's seen us through."
The state government has offered Mr Gilmore alternative grazing but he rejected it, saying it was sandstone country and full of heartleaf, describing it as "useless".
