ABOUT US
Push for the Bush was formed following the Bracks government decision to ban Alpine Grazing. We have developed from that time to become a voice for many rural issues and we have a contact list of thousands.
In May 2005, large numbers of farming, forestry and bush recreational groups and individuals incensed at this destruction of an Australian cultural tradition, rallied in support of the Mountain Cattlemen. In only ten days, a stirring protest rally was organized in Melbourne with over five hundred horses parading through Melbourne to meet thousands of supporters at Parliament House. Timber workers, Four Wheel Drivers, Farmers and many other groups came to show their support.
For many country and city groups and individuals the ban on alpine grazing was a turning point because of the deceptive way the Mountain Cattlemen were treated.
The government was still in consultation with the Cattlemen when they suddenly announced the ban without warning. Pre-prepared government advertising was immediately placed in newspapers to attempt to justify the ban.
The advertising was false. A doctored photo of cattle around a muddy waterhole implied that cattle damaged alpine bogs and moss beds. The ‘water hole’ was proven to be a silt trap built by the original Forest Commission and the advertising was quickly withdrawn. But not before the image of the cattlemen had been tarnished.
The consultation had been a sham! The ban had already been decided while cattlemen had been spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars showing a government task force how grazing was beneficial to the High Country.
People realized that with many current issues, government consultation was almost designed to exhaust country groups. The government on most occasions had already decided what it wanted to do.
There was widespread agreement that what we needed was an independent and aggressive grassroots group which would put its resources and energy into getting media coverage for our bush causes and was prepared to remove politicians who sold out country people. We had our first success in the 2006 Victorian election when we rallied at Warragul with horses and cattle and contributed to the defeat of Labor’s Ian Maxfield who had chaired the Alpine Grazing Taskforce.
We are not merely concerned with alpine grazing – now it is much more than that. We think that most farmers, timber workers and bush recreational groups are getting a bad deal from city politicians chasing the green vote. We stand ready to assist those who share our concerns.
If you join our mailing list, participate by funding us and join in our
activities, we will all be stronger – contact pushforthebush@mcmedia.com.au
