Get real on EI
I have been in Orange as Industry Liaison Officer with DPI for 7 weeks now, with a day or so off per week. I don't have time to scan or reply to blogs - there is too much to do controlling EI. I offer the following advice and please excuse me being tired and cranky.
If you just want to vent because things are frustrating /slow /bureaucratic / DPI hasn't a clue etc etc just keep blogging.
If you want the best information that we can give you, register on the HECD at http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/.
If you have an ordinary sort of a query or need a permit etc call the Hotline 1300 675 888.
If you are pissed off with racing seeming to get a better deal in just about everything contact the Federal Minister's office (just add another to the many thousands they have received to date).If you want to have to pay $300 per year to have your horse chipped /vaccinated / passported (EFA figures) and have the disease declared endemic straight after the Melbourne Cup continue to act like adisorganised rabble.
If you would like to see the disease contained and eventually eradicated while at the same time getting things back to business try to engender unity and pull behind the people who are trying to help you.If you want to do something positive join the AHIC.If you have a real problem and want to deal with someone who is trying to help, send it to industry.sdchq@dpi.nsw.gov.au.We have 2 people working there 12 hours a day doing their best to help.If you think they are helpful, send thanks - they have volunteered and do not have to put up with abuse.
This disease is harder to contain than Foot and Mouth disease - it is more infectious, spreads just as easily and individual horses move more than cattle.Containment and eradication is still the priority. Considering the spread by the time of 25 August, authorities consider that we have done reallywell keeping it as confined as it is.
Containment is being misunderstood - for horse owners you think this means stopping all spread. Think of it in bushfire-fighting terms. We know the fire is burning well in some areas but the fuel density is too great to beat it there. Containment lines have to be well away from active spread -we have to choose low horse density buffers zones and strengthen them with vaccination will stop property to property spread.
At the Federal level containment means keeping it in NSW and Qld and outof Victoria, SA, TAS etc. We have done a great job in holding an extremely infectious disease. The major problem continues to be people carting infection - it's hard to stop virus spreading at 110 km per hour.
We have had a few spot fires and may well get more - the issue is can we contain them - do we have resources? For buffer zones the MAJOR limitationis availability of vets. NSW is seeking to have canary pox vaccine administered by non vets - that might free up the vets for chipping. Non vets could do follow up shots. If we get spread into a previously clean area we will have to pull back and put in a new buffer.
The canary pox is having excellent effects - seems to be protecting horses in face of spread. Killed vaccines will not do this - takes 6 weeks and doesn't stop infection, just the effects of disease - if used in green zone could hide an outbreak.
Australia has ordered the worldwide available stocks of canary pox vaccine and NSW has sought approval to import large amounts of killed vaccine.
Priority for vaccine stocks must be the use in buffers. Then we need to fill in the uninfected spots in red and purple zones - they represent threats as sources of virus for moving through buffers. The virus stocks were over committed by Federal Minister not leaving enough to cover a possible outbreak - say if one had occurred in Tasmania.
Governments are looking at 2 scenarios - keep going with AUSVETPLAN, be xtending vaccination as appropriate, or declaring endemic and letting the disease go. Second scenario will require more vaccine and time to protect horses in uninfected areas in NSW and other states. Therefore not possible to remove all movement restraints in NSW because horses in other states have no protection. If we go for vaccination of all horses in the medium term we will be paying about $300 for microchipping, vaccination and passports and we will still get outbreaks because the virus mutates.
Therefore anyone who thinks about it realises we will be better off without the disease. The problem is that we can't stop all horse activities or the costs of control will exceed the costs of the disease.We may as well continue to work to eradication during the next few months because restrictions will continue in any case.
Cost benefit studies are being considered - current approach looks very positive, especially if we can get people back to work. Costs to racing in NSW are going to continue whether or not disease control is implemented because most racehorses in training have been sick and will not race until early new year.
The priority is to reduce indirect costs of disease by freeing up movements where possible to return business and events to normal asap. NSWextension of purple zones is the first step towards this.
Vaccination priorities will be buffer zones and then the uninfected horses in purple zone. In time we will protect horses that will need to enter purple zones for competitions etc. It is totally unrealistic to ask for all horses in green zones to be vaccinated - not enough vaccines or vets.
Racing and TB breeding interests will not really mind if the disease is endemic - they will be able to bring racehorses and shuttle stallions in without quarantine. Their valuable horses have been given vaccine by Federal Minister. It is all the other horse owners who will feel the cost and not be in as good a financial position to pay the ongoing costs. The benefits go to racing, the costs go to non racing. It is an equity issue.
We need to be united in our efforts - One Plan and we stick to it.
Rod.
If you just want to vent because things are frustrating /slow /bureaucratic / DPI hasn't a clue etc etc just keep blogging.
If you want the best information that we can give you, register on the HECD at http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/.
If you have an ordinary sort of a query or need a permit etc call the Hotline 1300 675 888.
If you are pissed off with racing seeming to get a better deal in just about everything contact the Federal Minister's office (just add another to the many thousands they have received to date).If you want to have to pay $300 per year to have your horse chipped /vaccinated / passported (EFA figures) and have the disease declared endemic straight after the Melbourne Cup continue to act like adisorganised rabble.
If you would like to see the disease contained and eventually eradicated while at the same time getting things back to business try to engender unity and pull behind the people who are trying to help you.If you want to do something positive join the AHIC.If you have a real problem and want to deal with someone who is trying to help, send it to industry.sdchq@dpi.nsw.gov.au.We have 2 people working there 12 hours a day doing their best to help.If you think they are helpful, send thanks - they have volunteered and do not have to put up with abuse.
This disease is harder to contain than Foot and Mouth disease - it is more infectious, spreads just as easily and individual horses move more than cattle.Containment and eradication is still the priority. Considering the spread by the time of 25 August, authorities consider that we have done reallywell keeping it as confined as it is.
Containment is being misunderstood - for horse owners you think this means stopping all spread. Think of it in bushfire-fighting terms. We know the fire is burning well in some areas but the fuel density is too great to beat it there. Containment lines have to be well away from active spread -we have to choose low horse density buffers zones and strengthen them with vaccination will stop property to property spread.
At the Federal level containment means keeping it in NSW and Qld and outof Victoria, SA, TAS etc. We have done a great job in holding an extremely infectious disease. The major problem continues to be people carting infection - it's hard to stop virus spreading at 110 km per hour.
We have had a few spot fires and may well get more - the issue is can we contain them - do we have resources? For buffer zones the MAJOR limitationis availability of vets. NSW is seeking to have canary pox vaccine administered by non vets - that might free up the vets for chipping. Non vets could do follow up shots. If we get spread into a previously clean area we will have to pull back and put in a new buffer.
The canary pox is having excellent effects - seems to be protecting horses in face of spread. Killed vaccines will not do this - takes 6 weeks and doesn't stop infection, just the effects of disease - if used in green zone could hide an outbreak.
Australia has ordered the worldwide available stocks of canary pox vaccine and NSW has sought approval to import large amounts of killed vaccine.
Priority for vaccine stocks must be the use in buffers. Then we need to fill in the uninfected spots in red and purple zones - they represent threats as sources of virus for moving through buffers. The virus stocks were over committed by Federal Minister not leaving enough to cover a possible outbreak - say if one had occurred in Tasmania.
Governments are looking at 2 scenarios - keep going with AUSVETPLAN, be xtending vaccination as appropriate, or declaring endemic and letting the disease go. Second scenario will require more vaccine and time to protect horses in uninfected areas in NSW and other states. Therefore not possible to remove all movement restraints in NSW because horses in other states have no protection. If we go for vaccination of all horses in the medium term we will be paying about $300 for microchipping, vaccination and passports and we will still get outbreaks because the virus mutates.
Therefore anyone who thinks about it realises we will be better off without the disease. The problem is that we can't stop all horse activities or the costs of control will exceed the costs of the disease.We may as well continue to work to eradication during the next few months because restrictions will continue in any case.
Cost benefit studies are being considered - current approach looks very positive, especially if we can get people back to work. Costs to racing in NSW are going to continue whether or not disease control is implemented because most racehorses in training have been sick and will not race until early new year.
The priority is to reduce indirect costs of disease by freeing up movements where possible to return business and events to normal asap. NSWextension of purple zones is the first step towards this.
Vaccination priorities will be buffer zones and then the uninfected horses in purple zone. In time we will protect horses that will need to enter purple zones for competitions etc. It is totally unrealistic to ask for all horses in green zones to be vaccinated - not enough vaccines or vets.
Racing and TB breeding interests will not really mind if the disease is endemic - they will be able to bring racehorses and shuttle stallions in without quarantine. Their valuable horses have been given vaccine by Federal Minister. It is all the other horse owners who will feel the cost and not be in as good a financial position to pay the ongoing costs. The benefits go to racing, the costs go to non racing. It is an equity issue.
We need to be united in our efforts - One Plan and we stick to it.
Rod.
posted by Horse Deals at
6:35 pm
4 Comments:
Well nice to hear from you Rod, instead of the girls replying on your behalf, not answering anyones questions. Sorry if we don't feel sympathetic to you working 12 hour days getting paid all that overtime. There are people out there looking at loosing their homes due to being unable to pay the morgages, but then thats not your problem.
I have a couple of questions that no one at your department seems to want to answer. If everything is going to plan, as your reports each day say they are "within your projections" then, just HOW much longer will we be locked down ?? What are your plans for the Amber zone. So far we haven't been fortunate to have an EI meeting in Orange, when will we get one? You say that the vaccine DOESN'T prevent infection OR spread, but lessens the duration and symptoms should they become infected. But here you state that your looking to vaccinate horses so they can enter the "Purple" zone to compete.....how the heck does that make sense ?? Will they be allowed to leave and go back to the Amber & Green zones??
Green zones can have comps as can the purple zones but where does that leave the red & amber zones. Is it ok for us to loose money, and competitions ??
How long till horses in the purple zone that have had EI and recovered, can be "released" to go home to Amber or green zones ???
Why didn't we have a total lockdown till the "fire fighters" knew where the fires really were. The only reason you have spot fires is because you let horses move to soon. Had you not bowed to pressure from the racing & TB breeding sector, as the majority of us believe, then this would be much more under control. The only person your trying to convince with your blog, is YOU.
Why can't the amber zone have the same priviledges as the green & purple zones, staying in their pretty coloured lines, but reporting to the "parole" officers like they do ??
Like your staff said, the best way to gain immunity and to burn this virus out is for horses to catch the flu. Either you want us to all catch it or all not catch it.....which one is it?
One last question, originally the purple zones were closing on October 19th, is this still the case ?
Looking forward to not getting answers as per usual
Amber zone detainee
Sorry if we're irritating you & the minister with our petty questions, but this is not your livelihood and passion thats being done over by the Aust Governments negligence. Your not loosing money or precious foals & horses. As I see it, all your loosing is your sleep and family time. So please don't tell us we're being emotional, irrational, rumor mongering etc. Until we start getting proper answers from your department to our questions then we can only go on our instincts and experiences with dealing with the DPI. Try looking at it from OUR side of this fence.
WELL ROD, A FANTASTIC RESPONSE YOU OFFER TO OUR PROBLEM. VERY DIPLOMATIC AND HELPING YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR THEORY. I CAN ASSIMULATE THE EI OUTBREAK TO A BUSHFIRE. FIRSTLY THE CAUSE IS USUALLY BY SELFISH, UNCARING PEOPLE WHO DONT CARE FOR THE FINAL OUTCOME OR HOW IT WILL EFFECT EVERYDAY PEOPLE. THEN, EVERYDAY, HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO WOULD,AND HAVE DIED FOR THEIR CAUSE ARE ON THE GROUND SEEKING EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION TO ENABLE THEM TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. THIS IS USUALLY DONE AT A LOCAL LEVEL.AS THE FIRE GROWS SO DOES THE NEED FOR HELP.ALONG COMES A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT WHOSE STAFF MAY HAVE NEVER HAD EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD ( AN EMAIL FROM A GIRL FROM THE DPI WE RECIEVED CONFIRMS THIS)TO OFFER IT'S HELP. AT MANY TIMES,PEOPLE WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ARE SIMPLY DISMISSED ( LEADING VETS HAVE ALL OFFERED ADVICE AND THEIR ADVICE FELL ON DEAF EARS).
NEXT THERE IS A PLAN OF ATTACK IMPEMENTED. THE MINISTERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS ALL HALE THEMSELVES AS SELF PROFESSED SAVIOURS. THE PEOPLE OUT ON THE FIRE FRONT RECIEVE LITTLE IF ANY USABLE INFORMATION RATHER THEY GET POLITICALLY CORRECT GAB THAT NOBODY CAN MAKE ANY SENSE OF.NEXT THING TO HAPPEN IS THE PLAN FAILS SO WE FALL BACK, REGROUP AND AWAIT MORE LUDICROUS PLANNING. PRESTO, PLAN "B". WELL AS I SEE IT, WE ARE NOW UPTO PLAN "Y".
SO EVENTUALLY ,WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN BUSHFIRES IS THEY BURN THEMSELVES OUT.
I DO AGREE, I DONT HAVE AN ANSWER. I CAN ADD THOUGH I HAVE SOME VERY STRONG THOUGHTS. LET ME SHARE THEM WITH YOU.
1.IF I TRIED TO BRING IN A BEAST FROM A COUNTRY WITH FOOT IN MOUTH I WOULD PROBLY NEED MY GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHERS AUNTYS SIGNATURE ON THE APPLICATION FORM. SO HOW THE HELL DO HORSES COMING FROM A EI INFECTED COUNTRY GET IN SO EASY?
2.HOW CAN A QUARRANTINE AREA BE SET UP IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A KNOWN DENSLEY HORSE POPULATED AREA? IS THE DPI NOT THE RESPONSIBLE AGENCY FOR ANIMAL EPIDEMICS? DO YOU HAVE NO INPUT AS TO THE NATIONAL QUARRENTINE AREA BEING IN SUCH A POSITION?
3.TO STOP A BUSHFIRE WE TRY TO STOP EMBERS ESCAPING THE FIRE ZONE.THE TERM USED IS CONTAINMENT. TOTAL LOCKDOWN SOUNDS A FAMILIAR SAYING.
4.THE DPI HAS NO REAL IDEA AS TO HOW MANY HORSES ARE IN ANY GIVEN AREA AND RELY ON FICTIOUS INFORMATION.
5.I BELEIVE IF TOTAL LOCKDOWN, AND I MEAN ABSOLUTELY NO MOVEMENT OF ANY HORSES, FLOATS, TRUCKS ETC WAS IMPLEMENTED WHEN THE DPI FIRST KNEW OF THE OUTBREAK, WE WOULD BE IN A FAR BETTER POSITION THEN WE ARE NOW.
6. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE MINISTERS ARE FAVOURING THE T.B INDUSTRY THEN AS A PUBLIC SERVANT, YOUR DUTY IS TO INFORM THAT MINISTER AND OR THE ICAC.
COME ON ROD, TOUGH TIMES DESERVE TOUGH MEASURES AND IF THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO PUT OURSELVES OUT ON A LIMB SO BE IT.
AS FOR YOU WORKING SO HARD, THAT IS CALELD A JOB, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND YOU MAY BE STRESSED BUT MAYBE THE OVERTIME CHEQUE (THAT US NORMAL HORSE LOVING PEOPLE OUT HERE PAID TAXES) MAY HELP YOU OVERCOME THE STRESS.
PROBLY WONT GET A REPLY BUT HEY, WHATS NEW?
BLOKE FROM ORANGE, CAUGHT IN THE ORANGE ZONE.
I don't believe eradication is possible. All involved are holding onto false hope. When EI first broke, I was the first to say lets eradicate! I don't want to pay so much to vaccinate. Not more expense, can I afford to vaccinate every horse?
Now I've lost so much, it's equal to vaccinating all my horses for the next 8years. But oh well. I'd like to lose everything!
Thanks Rod!
WELL ROD, A FANTASTIC RESPONSE YOU OFFER TO OUR PROBLEM.
VERY DIPLOMATIC AND HELPING YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR THEORY. I CAN ASSIMULATE THE EI OUTBREAK TO A BUSHFIRE. FIRSTLY THE CAUSE IS USUALLY BY SELFISH, UNCARING PEOPLE WHO DONT CARE FOR THE FINAL OUTCOME OR HOW IT WILL EFFECT EVERYDAY PEOPLE. THEN, EVERYDAY, HARD WORKING PEOPLE WHO WOULD,AND HAVE DIED FOR THEIR CAUSE ARE ON THE GROUND SEEKING EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION TO ENABLE THEM TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. THIS IS USUALLY DONE AT A LOCAL LEVEL.AS THE FIRE GROWS SO DOES THE NEED FOR HELP.ALONG COMES A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT WHOSE STAFF MAY HAVE NEVER HAD EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD ( AN EMAIL FROM A GIRL FROM THE DPI WE RECIEVED CONFIRMS THIS)TO OFFER IT'S HELP. AT MANY TIMES,PEOPLE WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ARE SIMPLY DISMISSED ( LEADING VETS HAVE ALL OFFERED ADVICE AND THEIR ADVICE FELL ON DEAF EARS).
NEXT THERE IS A PLAN OF ATTACK IMPEMENTED. THE MINISTERS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS ALL HALE THEMSELVES AS SELF PROFESSED SAVIOURS. THE PEOPLE OUT ON THE FIRE FRONT RECIEVE LITTLE IF ANY USABLE INFORMATION RATHER THEY GET POLITICALLY CORRECT GAB THAT NOBODY CAN MAKE ANY SENSE OF.NEXT THING TO HAPPEN IS THE PLAN FAILS SO WE FALL BACK, REGROUP AND AWAIT MORE LUDICROUS PLANNING. PRESTO, PLAN "B". WELL AS I SEE IT, WE ARE NOW UPTO PLAN "Y".
SO EVENTUALLY ,WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN BUSHFIRES IS THEY BURN THEMSELVES OUT.
I DO AGREE, I DONT HAVE AN ANSWER. I CAN ADD THOUGH I HAVE SOME VERY STRONG THOUGHTS. LET ME SHARE THEM WITH YOU.
1.IF I TRIED TO BRING IN A BEAST FROM A COUNTRY WITH FOOT IN MOUTH I WOULD PROBLY NEED MY GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHERS AUNTYS SIGNATURE ON THE APPLICATION FORM. SO HOW THE HELL DO HORSES COMING FROM A EI INFECTED COUNTRY GET IN SO EASY?
2.HOW CAN A QUARRANTINE AREA BE SET UP IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A KNOWN DENSLEY HORSE POPULATED AREA? IS THE DPI NOT THE RESPONSIBLE AGENCY FOR ANIMAL EPIDEMICS? DO YOU HAVE NO INPUT AS TO THE NATIONAL QUARRENTINE AREA BEING IN SUCH A POSITION?
3.TO STOP A BUSHFIRE WE TRY TO STOP EMBERS ESCAPING THE FIRE ZONE.THE TERM USED IS CONTAINMENT. TOTAL LOCKDOWN SOUNDS A FAMILIAR SAYING.
4.THE DPI HAS NO REAL IDEA AS TO HOW MANY HORSES ARE IN ANY GIVEN AREA AND RELY ON FICTIOUS INFORMATION.
5.I BELEIVE IF TOTAL LOCKDOWN, AND I MEAN ABSOLUTELY NO MOVEMENT OF ANY HORSES, FLOATS, TRUCKS ETC WAS IMPLEMENTED WHEN THE DPI FIRST KNEW OF THE OUTBREAK, WE WOULD BE IN A FAR BETTER POSITION THEN WE ARE NOW.
6. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THE MINISTERS ARE FAVOURING THE T.B INDUSTRY THEN AS A PUBLIC SERVANT, YOUR DUTY IS TO INFORM THAT MINISTER AND OR THE ICAC.
COME ON ROD, TOUGH TIMES DESERVE TOUGH MEASURES AND IF THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO PUT OURSELVES OUT ON A LIMB SO BE IT.
AS FOR YOU WORKING SO HARD, THAT IS CALELD A JOB, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND YOU MAY BE STRESSED BUT MAYBE THE OVERTIME CHEQUE (THAT US NORMAL HORSE LOVING PEOPLE OUT HERE PAID TAXES) MAY HELP YOU OVERCOME THE STRESS.
PROBLY WONT GET A REPLY BUT HEY, WHATS NEW?
BLOKE FROM ORANGE, CAUGHT IN THE ORANGE ZONE.
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