EASTERN CREEK QUARANTINE CENTRE

Was shocked today to be talking to a farrier, his work mates has just been to EASTERN CREEK attending to some horses in quarantine there. We are of the understanding that the only disease break imposed upon the farrier was he had to change clothes before he left the centre. By god what has to happen for the control and the restrictions at the centre to resemble its importance to the bio-security of our nation. Any of the Intensive Livestock Industries of this country could write protocols suitable for the access and restrictions to these facilities. Also while they are at it, they best set the required restrictions that a employee must abide by to hold a job at the site, as there was no mention of down time and the farrier has horses at
home. Shit when will we learn that any risk is to big a risk and these risks do become great cost to more that the Government. In the case of the EI we well know how the little people in the business have had to cope with the high levels of restrictions and increased costs that have been forced upon them. We had met a girl who was working at Eastern Creek post EI outbreak and it was great to hear her complain of all the standards to be met and the access restriction they had to abide by. But it sounds like those standards were short lived. If these facilities are not run correctly and to the highest standards, having strict protocols which are abided by and enforced to the letter we will see this happen again. The worse thing about what we have just been through is these diseases are detectable Farrier to shipment to Australia, and a correctly run and maintained centre in Australia should of been able to contain it.

This is we hope food for thought, and in writing this we hope that people in the horse industry stop and look at the excuses that are offered as being the why it happened. do not let it go at that, but demand how did it get to happen and why is it never going to happen again.

RC