Community & Business
19 December, 2024
Court ruling backs land owners on Cape cattle
MEMBER for Hill Shane Knuth has called on the new Minister for the Environment to immediately end all “shoot to kill” cattle operations for good in Cape York, following what he believes is a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Queensland.
The court’s decision, handed down on 29 November, sided with Olive Vale Pastoral Pty Ltd against the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, effectively blocking Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) attempts to seize and destroy cattle that has strayed onto the vast Lakefield National Park, which borders the property.
Mr Knuth described the ruling as a “huge win” for property owners across Cape York, who have long been at odds with the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation under the previous government.
“This court decision is a victory for every landowner in Cape York who has had to fight a bureaucratic machine that has shown complete disregard for their livelihoods,” he said.
“Olive Vale’s win shines a light on the injustice property owners have faced for years, and it casts serious doubt on the legitimacy of past ‘shoot to kill’ operations conducted by the department under the previous Government.”
He also emphasised that this ruling could pave the way for compensation to landowners for cattle that have been “illegally seized and destroyed” since shoot to kill operations commenced on National Parks surrounding cattle properties in Cape York.
“The department claim close to 5,000 cattle have been seized and destroyed over the last few years, but property owners argue that number is far too low,” Mr Knuth said.
“This equates to a conservative loss of $5 million or more in value.”
Mr Knuth, who has repeatedly raised the issue in Parliament, said that while he succeeded in halting some of the previous government’s “shoot to kill” operations through Parliament and media attention, the practice was revived once the spotlight faded.
“Under the former government, property owners were often given just weeks’ notice before cattle were shot, while waiting months for permits to enter national parks meant they had zero opportunity to retrieve their livestock,” he said.
With the new government in place, Mr Knuth believes the time has come for a fresh approach.
“This is a chance for the new Minister to reset the wrongs of the past and bring justice to the landowners who have been targeted for far too long,” he said.
“I am calling on the Minister to immediately cease all ‘shoot to kill’ cattle operations, work with property owners, and explore ways to better manage this valuable resource.”
Member for Cook David Kempton said the new government had acted as soon as it could to stop the shooting of cattle on the Cape.
“Following numerous calls from landholders in Cape York that DES was preparing to shoot cattle in National Parks regardless of ownership I spoke to the new LNP Minister for the Environment Andrew Powell who put an immediate stop to the proposed shooting,” he posted on Facebook last week.
“Our government will consult widely with landholders, agencies and stakeholders and ensure that a fair and equitable management plan is developed before taking any further action.
“There needs to be a consistent approach across the entire region to ensure there is no confusion and landholders are able to recover stock in a timely fashion and destruction of livestock is in accordance with that plan.
“This is another example of how the LNP Government has listened to the people.”
Mr Knuth condemned the actions of the previous government, accusing them of waging a concerted campaign to force pastoralists out of Cape York.
“The former government should be ashamed of their actions,” he said.
“This court ruling has restored the law’s support for property owners, and it’s time for the department to stop persecuting them and instead work collaboratively with landowners.
“This has been entirely driven by property owners in Cape York. Without their persistence on ending this wrongful practice and persecution by the department I have no doubt it would have continued.”
Mr Knuth is calling for a full review of the department’s actions under the previous government and for a clear commitment from the new Minister to end the controversial practice once and for all.
