Last week, the Victorian and federal governments faced off in the Federal Court in Melbourne over the long-running battle over grazing cattle in the Alpine National Park.
Victoria wants federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to explain why he banned a grazing trial in the national park.
The Coalition Government delivered on an election promise in January last year to reintroduce cattle into the national park as part of a bushfire mitigation trial - almost five years after the former Labor Government controversially banned them.
But in January this year, Mr Burke halted the trial on environmental grounds.
Last week, the court reserved judgment and a decision was not expected for more than a month.
In court, Victoria argued the Commonwealth did not follow due process.
In a statement from the Victorian Government, a spokeswoman drew comparisons between uncontrollable bushfires and the impacts of cattle grazing on the environment.
"Uncontrolled and catastrophic bushfires like we saw on Black Saturday are more of a threat to high country communities, wildlife and bushland than cows will ever be," she said.
"The Labor Party, at the mercy of the Greens, locked up national parks and walked away, leaving the state dangerously unprepared for bushfires.
"The (grazing) research trial is designed to provide the Victorian Government with up-to-date peer-reviewed scientific evidence to inform the fuel and bushfire risk management in our high country using strategic cattle grazing.
"We remain strongly committed to the long-term management of the alpine environment, particularly in relation to reducing the risk of bushfires."
Environment Minister Tony Burke said he stood by his decision to block the trial.
"The court will make a ruling on the legality of my decision that the proposed action is clearly unacceptable under national environmental law," he said.
Victorian National Parks Association spokesman Philip Ingamells said the State Government's grounds for appeal were "very weak".
weeklytimesnow
Source: Argentine Beef Packers S.A.
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