NSW: Need to determine how breach occurred: NSW

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2007
NSW: Need to determine how breach occurred: NSW

SYDNEY, Aug 29 AAP - NSW Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald has renewed his call for
a public inquiry into how equine influenza (EI) reached Australia, to try to prevent other
diseases breaching the country's biosecurity.

The EI outbreak, which first appeared at Sydney's Eastern Creek quarantine centre,
has shut down Australia's multi-billion dollar horse industry, with a nationwide standstill
enforced after infected horses were found in Sydney.

It now appears to have been contained to NSW and Queensland.

Mr MacDonald said he believed EI had breached Australia's biosecurity barriers, and
it was important that that never happened again.

"It's important we find how this breach occurred, how our biosecurity framework in
Australia and NSW was breached so badly, because we could have other diseases that could
get in here that have massive consequences upon our population and our agricultural industries,"

he told the Nine Network today.

"We should investigate that in a full public inquiry and get to the bottom of it because
we should see this in a way as making sure we can shore up our biosecurity framework for
the future and keep those barriers tight."

The standstill will be lifted in all other states and territories on Friday and racing
is scheduled to resume in every state except NSW and Queensland this weekend.

Mr Macdonald said he believed authorities had a handle on the outbreak in NSW.

"We're now up to 73 properties that either have it, or are suspected to have it," he said.

"We believe we're gradually containing it and once we've contain it we can look at
how we can assist racing clubs get back to business."

AAP jlw/wjf/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: STALLIONS MACDONALD

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