Horse industry faces flu levy

The equine influenza outbreak in Australia appears to be over, the Rudd government says.

Now the horse industry will have to start helping to pay the cost of eradication.

Agriculture Minister Tony Burke told parliament today that between the disease being detected last August and the last confirmed case in late December, 6627 NSW and 3569 Queensland properties had been affected.

“All of these cases now appear to have been resolved,” Mr Burke said.

“It is expected that eradication may be achieved by mid-March and that it will be possible to demonstrate in a few months provisional proof of freedom from the disease.”

Mr Burke was introducing legislation to impose a levy on the horse industry to help pay for the costs of battling the damaging outbreak.

The levy will be paid when a horse is registered, but the amount won't be set until the full cost of the response is known.

Mr Burke said most livestock industries had agreed to contribute to the Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA).

But the horse industry hadn't signed up because of disagreements over how to collect the levy.

“After extensive consultation the industry has agreed that it was best to impose it at the point of horse registration,” Mr Burke said.

The levy would be applied to the initial registration with recognised breed societies and performance organisations.

The levy will be applied only once to each horse and will not be retrospective, he said.

Debate was adjourned.

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