IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

So I hear on the 6.00pm news tonight that EI has finally reached the thoroughbred racing industry in Brisbane. Well it was only a matter of time. The so called biosecurity measures in place at Brisbane race tracks has been nothing but a farce since this thing began. The racing industry was in such a hurry to get back that it risked being out of action for months and will now want us, the tax payers to foot the bill for their stupidity. Do you know while we the so called unimportant pleasure horse owners sit at home spraying and scrubbing every surface that goes on or off our property, doing everything to stop the spread of this disease, to protect the racing industry for gods sake, they have been doing nothing but washing their shoes and hands. When a race horse is taken out off a property, they are walked along public though fares to a race track. When they arrive the horse who is usually saddled is taken from them and held by an unknown person, the people accompanying the horse are asked to wash there boots, are escorted to a wash room and told to wash their hands they then go out and collect their horse who has undergone absolutely no decontamination either of the horse or the equipment they are wearing, from the holder who then without any decontamination takes hold of another horse from god knows where. The same for when they leave, horses and their equipment are not being decontaminated before or after entering a race track for exercise. The race horses of Brisbane are mixing with People from unknown places but you can bet your last dollar that people are coming from infected areas, off properties that have horses and attending their race horses at our local race tracks and DPI have completely succumb to the pressure of QLD Racing who have cared of nothing else but getting back to racing. Rather than have 6 weeks off they are all faced now with 6 months off. I take my hat off to the harness racing people who have suspended all racing. They deserve to get the vaccine first.

I have personally discussed the lack of Biosecurity at our race tracks with Rod (the DPI representative at Brookfield community engagement centre) who seemed really concerned and outraged that this might be the case. I was told that it would be passed on to his supervisor and that they would get back in touch with me tomorrow. That was last Wednesday and I am still waiting. I suspect that Rod passed on this concern only to discover that DPI is completely aware of the Biosecurity measures not in place at our local race tracks, after all they must have approved them. While DPI wants us to sit at home they are happy for the racing industry to pass on this disease at their whim granting movement permits willy nilly without vet certification or any proof that the horse is well enough to travel unlike the pleasure horse owners who are struggling to get a permit to get a sick horse treated or bring home horses stuck out in this mess. People are travelling from infected areas to these race tracks and QLD racing has made no attempt to really stop the spread of EI. They thought that they were immune and now EI has literally bitten them on the bum and they are reaping the rewards of their efforts.

And finally why has Mr Beatie/Mrs Bligh left this natural disaster in the hands of QLD racing. Who died and left them GOD. Why are they making the decision and why is DPI falling into suit with them. QLD racing is only concerned with taking care of its members, and DPI is only concerned with taking care of QLD racing. Who is taking care of us, the average pleasure horse owner/VOTER.

Mrs Bligh your Labour Government and your DPI has let us down, it is time you stepped in and started taking care of all the people of QLD and not just the Thoroughbred owners.Leslee