HDT AGM DATE

HDT AGM

28 th September 2008

11Am

DENISE LUTES

Victoria St

RED RANGE NSW

Equine Influenza-When will it all end?

When will it end?

At the time of writing, control operations are into the second week, but it is not possible to forecast the likely time it will take to eradicate the disease. At this stage, control measures are on track, and all infections being discovered are linked in some way to the original infection point.

If people cooperate with the horse movement stand-still, and people practise good basic hygiene to prevent property-to-property spread, the outbreak will die a natural death within a few months.

However, it will only take a small number of unauthorised horse movements for the disease to spread and extend the time needed to complete eradication.

Cancellation of NSW Pony Club Events for September

Cancellation of NSW&nbspPony Club Events for September and State Championships

Due to the Equine Influenza outbreak NSW Pony Club events, scheduled to be held during September, are cancelled.

This includes competition events, rallies, camps, specialist training days and other informal activities such as trail rides.

In addition, the NSW State Mounted Games Championships (6/7 October - Tumbarumba) and State One Day Event Championships (12/13 October – Wagga Wagga) have been cancelled.

The Executive have given consideration to&nbspthe&nbspinformation available from the NSW Department of Primary Industries and following meetings between the EFA and the Federal Agriculture Minister, Mr Peter McGauran, in making these decisions. “It is unfortunate for this to occur, however to assist the host zones and the many clubs planning to hold camps in the next school holidays, a decision to cancel sooner rather than later was deemed necessary,” said Mrs Jenny Amadio, Executive Officer of the Pony Club Association of NSW.

“All horse owners and riders actions have an impact on the spread of Equine Influenza. The more responsive we are, to the directives of the DPI, the sooner we will be able to return to regular activities.” said Mrs Amadio. PCANSW encourages everyone to remember that the NSW wide ban on the movement of horses remains in force indefinitely and applies to everyone, not just racehorses. Horse, ponies, donkeys and mules are not to leave the property on which they are situated. Penalties for disregarding the ban include a fine of up to $44,000 and a gaol term of 12 months. At this time, it is unsure when the ban will be lifted however it has been indicated that it could be two months or more before movement is unrestricted. “This means stop moving horses, and exercise disinfection measures to stop the spread of the disease,” said Mrs Amadio. PCANSW ask all members to adhere to the directives of the NSW DPI.

Even if your horses are well and you do not think they could have horse flu, do not attempt to move them even if you think there is a safer, a better or a more convenient place to keep them.

Updates are being provided on the PCANSW website (www.pcansw.org.au) as they become available. Further information is available on the NSW Department of Primary Industry website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au and the Australian Horse Industry Council.

For more information contact:

Jenny Amadio, admin@pcansw.org.au, (02) 4229 8977, www.pcansw.org.au

PCANSW Media Release

EFA Information

Please help your EFA help you.

A message particularly for horse lovers in NSW and Queensland.

The current Equine Influenza emergency is affecting a lot of people. The “sport” has virtually come to a standstill in NSW and Queensland and is also impaired in other States. The most concerning aspect of the crisis, however, is the economic hardship it is beginning to place on the estimated 15,000 people who make their living from the equestrian industry.

We have heard of a number of individual cases, some involving high-profile riders, whose current and expected income has been slashed and who face ruin unless they receive assistance.

While the EFA Queensland Branch has been assisting with the situation in Warwick in particular, National and NSW Branch officials have had meetings with Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran and NSW Minister Ian Macdonald. We have lobbied for financial assistance in terms of extended GST and Income Tax payments. We have also asked to get a “new start” allowance subsidy for existing staff so that the best equestrian skills are kept employed during this period. This could subsidise an employee’s wages by approx $260 per week, if they agree. Let’s see what the Government comes back with next week.

Unfortunately, the reach of some of the present relief measures does not appear to extend to all of those in need because of the income and property value thresholds on which they are based. We are looking for the lifting of these thresholds and for other ways to assist those in need. Interest-free loans may be one way. We are sure there are others.

Coming back to the subject “Please help us help you”. About a week ago, we placed a survey on our web www.equestrian.org.au asking anyone affected by the EI crisis to give us details of how they are affected. We have received around 300 responses so far but there must be many more people who feel the impact but have not as yet completed the survey. We urge you to do this ASAP. We need data to underpin our case for further assistance. We cannot just rely on the stories of a few individuals, however serious their situation is.

What is required RIGHT NOW?

Every effort by ALL involved in the industry and particularly those “in touch” with horses, to do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus. Compliance with the stock standstill is critical and that this applies to horses, ponies and donkeys, their equipment, floats and trucks. Please follow biosecurity/hygiene guidelines and other instructions. If you don’t know them already, you can find links on our webs.
Those of you, who are affected financially by this crisis, please complete our survey and offer suggestions of what can help you.
Stay in touch with your Branch Office. They are working very hard to find help for you through National and State Government channels.
Recognise that sooner or later we will come out of this successfully. Hopefully the hay season will be good and we will see lower feed prices by November, too.
Lastly, remember that horse riding and ownership is FUN! Many of you can still ride your horses. Spring is here, so look at the bright side!

You should know that we have set up a process that will review the equestrian event calendar and re-schedule major events appropriately to ensure that our preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games are optimised. The Australian Sports Commission is very aware of our situation and is working closely with our High Performance Team to look at a range of initiatives to assist our Elite riders to maintain their preparation under very difficult and trying circumstances.

We are also reviewing draft EFA General Regulations, which were intended to come into effect next year. Some event control and “biosecurity” measures may be introduced earlier to help us respond more effectively to the crisis situation and get events going again.

Once again, let’s work together to end this crisis. Encourage others to do the right thing. Get your clubs to do the same with their members.

Spread the message, not the virus!

Geoff Sinclair, EFA President Franz Venhaus EFA CEO

Contact Us:

If you have any comments about this newsletter or our website, or want to contribute, you can email us. The Equestrian Federation of Australia 's postal address is PO Box 673, SYDNEY MARKETS, NSW, 2129 Tel: +61 2 8762 7777 , Fax: +61 2 9763 2466 , Email: info@efanational.com.

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