A WAR of words has erupted between Victoria's mountain cattlemen and Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke over alpine grazing.
The Mountain Cattlemens Association of Victoria said Mr Burke made "disgusting" comments last week.
Mr Burke had said that when he met association representatives in 2011 it was "one of the strangest encounters" he had ever had.
"When I went to inspect the area where the cattle grazing was occurring, there were two people who were not part of my group," he said.
"I introduced myself to them and shook their hands, they then followed me at a distance the entire day, never raised any concerns directly with me and it was not until I later saw their reports on the mountain cattleman's web-page that I worked out who they were.
"In all my time as a minister I have never known of anyone who has had access to me for half a day, refused to say a word then complain that they didn't have a meeting."
But MCAV executive officer Graeme Stoney contested Mr Burke's version of events, saying his comments were "wildly inaccurate" and "offensive" and part of "an ongoing pattern of misinformation ... over the past two years".
"The (MCAV) or its representatives did not meet Mr Burke when he visited the Dargo High Plains as he claimed, because no members or even representatives were present," Mr Stoney said.
He said he and other members in the area "stood off" because they were not invited.
