THE state government is standing firm on its decision not to extend emergency cattle grazing in national parks past December 31, despite warnings that it will result in dead and dying cattle throughout those parks.
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Member for Mt Isa, Rob Katter said 10 of the 13 droughted landholders with cattle on the parks had written to him saying it would be kinder to kill their cattle rather than freight them back to their properties, where there's no grass.
"If it doesn't rain soon, these people have nowhere to turn for agistment, their stock will be too poor to travel, and there's no market for their stock," he said.
Longreach has held its last cattle sale for the year, Charters Towers is closing soon and Blackall has just one more sale scheduled.
"A lot of them will be cows in calf - just try putting them on a truck in the middle of summer," Mr Katter said.
He said the window of opportunity for parliament to legislate to extend the deadline to March was fast closing, and he was pleading with the government to reconsider. "If it doesn't rain it will be diabolical."
He said there would be no requests for extensions beyond March 2014 - if there was no rain by then, that would be the end of the road for a lot of people.
A spokesperson for National Parks Minister Steve Dickson said that as well as helping graziers in a crisis, the government had made a promise to the rest of Queensland that the emergency measure was only for six months.
"That's a really big deal, and we need to show that we stick by our word," she said.
The spokesperson said the decision affected 7150 head of cattle and was only ever a temporary lifeline.
"When you look at the size of the drought, this was never the whole solution to the problem.
"Resources reserves amounting to 400,000ha can still be used, and have been offered - it's just the five national parks the farmers have to leave."
The spokesperson said the six-month window had been chosen with the advice of QPWS rangers, who were regularly assessing the grass on the parks and advising that feed conditions meant no extension was possible.
AgForce Queensland has joined state MP Rob Katter in expressing disappointment at the government's stance, fearing it will further deepen the impact of the state's ongoing drought.
General president Ian Burnett said it was important to remember the selected national parks had until recently operated as cattle properties, and had been chosen for their infrastructure, which meant grazing was compatible with ecological conservation.
Looking ahead: The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts drier than average conditions for most of northern Australia from November to January, with a 60-70 percent chance of below average rainfall across much of the region.
"Graziers will now have to face the grim prospect of returning their cattle home to bare pastures and trying to seek supplement feed which is in extremely short supply," Mr Burnett said.
"Additionally we are hearing reports that the stock route system is already full and the 13 permit holders have no choice but to seek an extension."
AgForce is of the firm opinion a short extension to the permits is a commonsense approach to provide graziers with sufficient time to remove stock from the parks following what is predicted to be a late wet season.
