No EI compensation

Parkes Shire Council will continue to support the Parkes P A and H Association in its quest to seek compensation for the cancellation of last year’s annual show because of the Equine Influenza (EI) outbreak.

However, Mayor Robert Wilson doesn’t hold out much hope from a state or federal level – believing both parties will continue to pass the buck ‘from here on in.’

The three day Parkes Show had to be cancelled after a horse that had been floated to Parkes from a stable at Sydney’s Centennial Park was diagnosed with the virus on the eve of the show’s launch.

A quarantine order lasting many months was placed on the showground by the Department of Primary Industries.

Mayor Wilson said that if neither government comes forward with financial assistance, then the show society may have to look at taking legal action against the horse owner responsible for the EI outbreak at the showground.

‘The show society has to be assisted in some way – they will never recover from the debt incurred through the loss of revenue that resulted from last year’s cancellation,’ Cr Wilson said.

Council has made two representations on behalf of the Show Society to State Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald through Local Independent Member for Dubbo, Dawn Fardell.

The latest reply from Mr Macdonald did not go down well with council.

In a letter tabled at the most recent council meeting, Mr Macdonald said that if the Parkes PA and H Association wished to seek financial assistance, they should do so through their Federal Member (John Cobb).

‘The Federal Government provided grants for non-government, not-for-profit equestrian organizations which suffered losses as a result of the EI outbreak. However, I understand applications closed in January,’ Mr Macdonald wrote.

Deputy Mayor Cr Ken Keith described Mr Macdonald’s response as ‘simply passing the buck.’

The Parkes Show suffered the most from the EI outbreak.

While other shows went ahead minus the horse events, Parkes was totally cancelled resulting in a loss of tens of thousands of dollars in income and expenses to the Parkes PA and H Association.

Cr John Magill urged council to continue to pursue the matter.

‘We should thank our local State Member for her efforts on this matter. But the answer is always the same from the state government, every dealing we’ve had with them is for us to approach the federal government on the issue,’ Cr Magill said.

Councillors agreed to the recommendation – that the request be referred to the local Federal member in accordance with the information supplied by Mr Macdonald.

Department rejects application

Late last week, Secretary of the Parkes PA and H Association Kaye Bird confirmed the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry had rejected the association’s application for assistance for government grant funding.

`Grants were made available to equestrian organisations that provided assistance and services over and above the normal activities to manage and respond to the EI outbreak in Australia,’ Mrs Bird said.

`While our association has received reimbursement of expenses related to the quarantine of competitors and horses at the showground as well as two business Assistance grants to the vale of $5000 it is nowhere near compensating for the total shutdown of last year’s show.’

Mrs Bird said the irony was that throughout the three days scheduled for last year’s show the weather could not have been more perfect.

`Who knows what the final financial outcome might have been.’

Her sentiments were echoed by Association Treasurer Peter Tom who also expressed his disappointment concerning the rejection of the grant application.

`For the department concerned to indicate that our cancelled show that also resulted in the quarantining of 37 horses at the showground is not covered under the criteria `of providing assistance and services over and above normal activities’ is disappointing to say the least,’ Mr Tom said.

He said the association would continue to pursue the matter further.