Workers sue over horse flu outbreak

Frank Walker October 21, 2007

THOUSANDS of horse industry workers will be included in a planned class action suing the Federal Government for hundreds of millions of dollars in losses because of the horse flu outbreak.

Lawyers representing several horse associations said they were building a case against the Federal Government's Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service based on alleged negligence for failing to prevent the outbreak.

A law firm planning a class action, Clinch Neville Long Letherbarrow, is collecting details of financial losses from a range of people in the horse industry.

"They include vets, saddlers, riding schools, instructors, farriers, equestrian associations, suppliers and breeders," said a partner in the firm, Matthew Hourn.

"Tens of thousands of people lost their income.
"About 90 per cent of the several thousand people joining the plan for a class action are from outside the racing industry."

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