Horse flu inquiry coming to a close

Five months after it began, the Equine Influenza inquiry is hearing closing submissions today.

The inquiry has taken evidence from 260 witnesses and generated more than 80,000 documents in its bid to establish how horse flu entered Australia last August.

The first parties to appear are the states of New South Wales and Queensland, who will be followed by the Commonwealth.

Commissioner Callinan released his draft report earlier this month, and received 30 submissions in response.

He flagged major changes, among them the appointment of an external auditor to inspect all Australian and overseas horse quarantine stations, significant increases in quarantine fees for imported shuttle stallions, and a complete overhaul of Australia's quarantine agencies, AQIS and Biosecurity Australia.

Most parties have agreed with many of the Commissioner's draft recommmendations, although a planned review on whether live horses should be imported into Australia at all has met with a cool reception.

It is not known if the inquiry will recommend an upgrade in the status of EI as a disease, which would force the Federal Government to shoulder more of the cost should there be another outbreak in the future.