IT IS TIME WE ACTED

Hay Everyone,

**** Please read Debera Ebbett's email update from a DPI meeting yesterday –

DEB IS CALLING FOR ACTION FROM US ALL – I TOTALLY AGREE WITH HER – INFORMATION IS POWER BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED AND PHYSICALLY ATTEND A RALLY OF SUPPORT (PEACEFUL BUT VERY LOUD AND STRONG) – LET'S SHOW THE POLITICIANS JUST WHO AND WHAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH AND HOW MANY OF US ARE BEING TREATED WITH CONTEMPT.

I WILL BE THERE AND I IMPLORE YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR FRIENDS TO SUPPORT DEB AND SHOW UP ANDBE COUNTED.

DEB'S DETAILS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF HER EMAIL – PLEASE INUNDATE WITH SUPPORT AND DON'T GIVE UP TRYING.

(of course remember at such a huge gathering not to further spread the damn EI and follow all the proper protocols and attend clean)

Mark Freemantle

Hi all

A small group of local people was asked to attend a meeting at the DPI Resource Centre at Tambourine to discuss the EI matters.

Within hours of my requested attendance we got the revised, revised, revised plan that immunisation was no longer an option and they were now going to immunise a buffer zone as defined in yellow on the map.

Given that we have all been given 55 versions of THE PLAN, obviously I was keen to attend this meeting to see what they had to say.

OBSERVATIONS

Qld DPI DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE !!!!!!!

NSW DPI has a much clearer grasp of the situation (an admission by Qld DPI)

Qld DPI believes the government rhetoric that the Race Horse industry must be revived before anything. ( and the general feeling of the rest of us..... well do not hold your breath because you will die)

Many thoroughbred owners are not happy they are being put in the us and them category.

Anger is at boiling point, an observation repeatedly put to the DPI with little effect.

The DPI is in control but requested us to write down what we think they could be doing better. A very stupid question. Naturally they were told.

General consensus, there is no buffer zone and they are doing nothing but saving the governments TAB cash flow.

While the few race horses at the tracks are being immunised some of the largest thoroughbred studs and spelling complexes see nothing. Some of the large Thoroughbred studs in Beaudesert have 600 foals due this season and are in no better position than the rest of us.

The reality is that government is looking after government and what is happening in Qld has nothing to do with assisting the equine industry but is all about playing politics.

The things discussed at this meeting should have been discussed on day 2.

The questions asked should have been asked on day 2.

WHERE TO FROM HERE

Let everyone be real here, the problem is not the disease itself, the horses will get over it. The problem is the economic impact this is having which clearly our government cannot see past its own nose to grasp and the long term ramifications and costs to the equine community if this is not bought under control.

The reaction to this disaster has been slow and ineffectual. The ship has 100,000 people on board and 100 life jackets and is sinking fast.

IT IS TIME WE ACTED

Somehow we need to wake up this government and get them with the programme.

WE NEED EVERY PERSON THAT HAS A BUSINESS INTEREST IN HORSES TO STEP UP AND BE COUNTED.

WE NEED EVERY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN ADVERSELY EFFECTED BY THIS OUTBREAK TO STEP UP AND BE COUNTED.

WE NEED TO BOMBARD THIS GOVERNMENT WITH VOLUMES AND VOLUMES OF IMPACT STATEMENTS

AND WE NEED TO SHOW THEM THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE BEING EFFECTED.

The Toft's made a great start and should be highly commended for their efforts but now is the time for all horse people to rally together and show the government the power in numbers. As was clearly the case with the meeting that Toft's arranged there is heightening unrest in this sector also. We all need to organise a large rally into Brisbane and deliver the impact statements to government house.

What we need from the DPI is real evidence that they know or understand any of this and are approaching this like the true disaster it is and the potential devastation it can reap. Many many people will go to the wall because of this and may never recover. The horse industry as we know it may change for ever unless we act NOW.

If everyone can pass this email on to as many people in SE Qld as possible and print it out for those that do not have access to email and contact me we will be putting together a group to organise a rally as soon as possible. If we wait too much longer I fear there will be no industry to save. This is a state and federal problem and our one saving grace is that there is an election due in the federal arena soon so everyone knows that is the best time to try and get something out of a politician if they think it may keep their seat another term.

Regards and best wishes to us all

Debera Ebbett
ph 5547 8888
fax 5547 8877
mob 0412 483816