Cows grazing in the Alpine National Park in Victoria have been put on notice by the federal government that their time is up.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has ordered the cows out of the park by April 8.

In January, the Victorian government reintroduced cattle grazing in the national park as part of a scientific research trial.Since then, Mr Burke said he had been trying to get information from the Victorian government as to why this issue was not referred for an environmental assessment.

On March 1, the minister set Victoria a two-week deadline to provide all the relevant information about the reintroduction.

‘‘The information that has eventually come from the Victorian government is a joke,’’ Mr Burke told reporters in Canberra on Friday.