EI zones may be lifted

THE racehorse movement restrictions across NSW could be lifted in time for Sydney's showpiece autumn carnival.Racing NSW officials met with the NSW Department of Primary Industries yesterday and pushed for a relaxation of the horse movement protocols that have been in place since the equine influenza outbreak in late August.
"At present it is a deterrent to bring horses into the purple zone and race in the Sydney area because of the necessity to spend 14 days in quarantine before leaving,'' Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys pointed out.
"We have asked the DPI to reconsider the length of this quarantine period. It is just too long.''
V'Landys said negotiations went well and he believes there is "some light at the end of the tunnel''. DPI officials had initially indicated the coloured zones across NSW would remain in place until June but there is now a chance they could be withdrawn in two to three months.