Subsidy Deal 'unfair'
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday January 30, 2008
A MILLERS Forest horse trainer has accused the State Government of placing more financial burdens on horse owners who have already suffered huge losses as a result of equine influenza (EI).
Gerald O'Brien says he will be up for "thousands" to comply with the Government's transport regulations put on horse owners in the purple zone.Mr O'Brien has 40 "performance" horses that must be blood-tested or microchipped before they can be transported out of the zone.He said horse owners in his situation whose animals had already contracted and recovered from EI had to foot the cost, leaving them out of pocket again.He said the ruling was unfair as the Government subsidised owners in the red zone, whose horses did not catch the disease, for vaccinations.He said his business had suffered since EI was first diagnosed in the area several months ago."Fair enough, we were shut down for a bit to try to control it but I still think the solution back then was to just let the disease spread," Mr O'Brien said."The Government keeps changing the rules, and now I can't move my horses unless I have a transportation permit and proof by way of blood test or microchip that my horses are disease-free." The Government was giving free vaccinations to uninfected horses in the red zone, yet after he had borne the brunt of the disease, he was stung with additional costs to blood-test or microchip his stock."I think the Government should pay for that," he said.A spokeswoman for Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald confirmed the free vaccinations for red-zone horses.She also confirmed that people in Mr O'Brien's situation had to have documentation that they were EI-free.She said owners of horses in the purple zone that had not contracted EI were being urged to contact their vets if they had not had their animals vaccinated.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
