EI situation in Victoria.

02/11/07

While the Victorian Equestrian community sits and waits for EI to enter the State, a number of meetings are being conducted to try and prevent this from happening. Many people feel powerless and frustrated that decisions are just made without any consultation. Another annoying fact is there is very little communication from these meetings of the outcome or the discussions that have taken place, you just wake up one morning and Werribee Part is now a quarantine station!

When Horse Deals read the Victorian Premiers press release yesterday, stating that; “Mr Brumby said a quarantine site had also been established at the Werribee Equestrian Centre, which was expected to stable up to 50 horses at a time,” our first call was to the Victorian EFA. We asked to speak to the always available CEO, Jackie Woodhead and we were told she was overseas at a family wedding, which was planned long before the outbreak of EI. We then spoke to Anita Smith (Executive P.A.) who was trying to be very helpful, but was also trying to get information from the DPI before she could issue a press release about Werribee Park. Poor Anita was being bombarded with calls about the quarantine station and its ramifications, and she had not been given any armoury to deal with the situation. While I had Anita on the phone I asked her about the outcome of the EFA, PCAV, VASA, HRCAV and DPI meeting held on Wednesday, as no group had issued a press release. Anita stated she was not at the meeting, the EFA representative was Bruce Chamberlian (EFA Victorian President) and he had been uncontactable.

Horse Deals then contacted the Australian Horse Industry Council. They explained to us that they originally thought the quarantine station planned by the state Government could not go ahead, as it states that there must be a 500 metre exclusion zone around any area declared a quarantine site. To the surprise of the AIHC this was changed to 100 meters and the proposal went ahead. The DPI had explained to the AIHC that Werribee Park was to be used only for Victorian horses stranded in NSW and Qld to return home, on the condition that they had spent eight weeks in a green zone, followed by two weeks in a quarantine site in NSW and then it was felt they were safe to go to Werribee. It was news to the AIHC that the quarantine proposal stated in the Premier’s press release also included racehorses to follow the stranded horses. The AIHC were immediately objecting to this utilisation of the Equestrian Centre. The quarantine area at Werribee would include all the area from the edge of the dressage arenas south; this has subsequently resulted in the cancellation of the EFA dressage event planned for the 10th November. Polo and events on the showjumping arenas at this stage are planned to go ahead.

However, our next call was to Paul Seuren (Executive Officer of VAS Ltd) who has been a fabulous correspondent during this EI crisis. Paul attends numerous meetings of behalf of the Agriculture Show societies, including the one on Wednesday with the EFA, PCAV etc. Paul (who comes from an equestrian back ground) explained that at the meeting, there was heated discussion about the fact the EFA was running competitions for their members, but also including events for HRCAV and PCAV members, when there was a directive from these two organisations that all events were cancelled until after Christmas. Both Paul and the AIHC indicated to us that the EFA had gone away to discuss the running of future events before Christmas. Paul also explained that the DPI was keen for small events like Pony Club rallies to start after Christmas in Victoria, but was really fearful of larger scale events and Agricultural shows that combined both horses and the public. A suggested solution to this was running part of an agricultural show on one day without horses and the following day with horses, but no public. However, a meeting later this month will dicsuss the running of horse events at Agricultural shows next year. The meeting was told by the DPI that the Purple Zone in NSW should be clear by the end of April 2008 and things should be back to normal by June 2008, as there must be a proving period following the clearing of the Zone, and that no new cases of EI are found before Australia is declared EI free. (The Purple Zone will be the last to be declared free) A meeting was conducted yesterday to try and get more State funding for cancelled equestrian events for early next year, however. at the moment the outcome of this meeting is unknown.

In the last few days, Horse Deals has also spoken to committee members of the Welsh and Quarter Horse societies and it has been indicated that all breed societies have voted for eradication of EI and not mass vaccination. Therefore due to many reasons breed shows in Victoria for at least the first three months of 2008 look unlikely. In NSW the running of major breed shows right up to the end of May now looks the likely outcome.

Horse Deals, through our extensive network of contacts, will endeavour to keep everyone informed about meetings and their outcomes, however, it is not always so easy.

Victorian DPI Situation Report - November 02 http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_upload/files/vic%20dpi%20sitrep%20nov%2002.pdf

Victorian DPI Media Release - Over 50 Information Sessions Across Victoria http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_upload/files/vic%20dpi%20media%20release%20sessions.pdf
North East Community Information Sessions http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_upload/files/vic%20dpi%20sessions%20north%20east.pdf
South West Community Information Sessions http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_upload/files/vic%20dpi%20sessions%20south%20west.pdf
Gippsland Community Information Sessions http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_upload/files/vic%20dpi%20sessions%20gippsland.pdf
North West Community Information Sessions http://www.horsecouncil.org.au/_upload/files/vic%20dpi%20sessions%20north%20west.pdf