1. Last EI information session for the year is at Whyalla Westlands Motel on Dec 12th at 7.30pm
2. Ongoing public information sessions are being planned for the first part of 2008. If you would like to have one in your area (perhaps it has not yet been covered) or would like a revisit, please email horsesa@horsesa.asn.au
3. Last Saturday's Advertiser incorrectly said that PIRSA was looking for a quarantine site to bring infected horses back to SA. The site is needed to rehouse uninfected, or recovered horses from QLD or NSW who are now disease free, back to SA. Like normal quarantine procedures a pre and post arrival protocol will be followed. This protocol will be put on the PIRSA website as soon as it is ready, which should be in the next week or so.
4. Biosecurity & Contingency Plans. Download the guidelines from www.pir.sa.gov.au News on the grapevine is that quite a number are now in preparation in readiness for the resumption of horse events. As only two enquiries were received from our last email in relation to the need for running a workshop on how to do the paperwork, Dr Rob Rahaley has instead suggested that horse organisations have a first run a the paperwork and then make an appointment to see a PIRSA officer to finalise details.
5. There is a form on the Horse SA homepage, (which is easier than the older PIRSA forms) for registering your horse property voluntarily on the PIRSA property information system. Each property is then given a number.(PIC) People who have sheep, cattle etc will already have a PIC and just need to add horses. This helps with livestock tracabilty. It is the property that is registered, not individual horses. It is likely that this may become mandatory in the future, and have a fee attached, so take the opportunity to do it now.
1. Horse organisations, who have a permit issued, are welcome to promote them via this newslist. This will help link clubs who have completed a plan with those that may need help.
2. Business Continuity Planning Workshop (FREE) to be held at Mt Barker Thurs Dec 13th 7 - 9.30pm Open to all businesses and clubs. Customised for the horse industry, the Department of Trade & Economic Development have funded this, the first of a series of workshops around the state, to help plan as another stock standstill is still on the cards to be called should a suspect horse be found in SA Please book with Julie on 0402 488 306 or horsesa@horsesa.asn.au
Please note that the Mt Gambier workshop is postphoned until next year.
3. Post-Flu strategic directions: We would like to hear from organisations or individuals that have ideas to put our horse industry into a better position should EI not be resolved or come back again in the future. This could be ideas to help organisations improve aspects of event management, ideas for small businesses and of course, if EI returned if Australia is declared free, how would you feel about the same sort of response being undertaken? Ideas may include: freezing semen for sale into the future, if this is something that you previously did not do., strategic plan for the improvement of facilities to better able to cope with biosecurity requirements, registration of equestrian stable hands even if voluntary, to get a better idea of people numbers,etc How the federal response rolls out will happen, but there are some things we may be able to start working on for our future.
Checkout the Horse SA website for
1. Geotagging workshop
2. Free "Introduction to horse property management" workshop
3. Workshop for Local & State Government Planners - Free
4. Ideas for Christmas Gifts
Horse SA would like to thank Greening Australia (SA Branch) for the work done to get another team of Green Corps young people commencing late January 08.
Thank you to invited guests who yesterday helped celebrate the completion of the HorsesLandWater project held yesterday at the SA Mounted Police barracks. More news and a CD to purchase next week.
Thank you also to everyone who has helped Horse SA, including the City of Onkaparinga (SA Works in the Regions Program) Thoroughbred Racing, TAFE SA, SAJC and Trainers Assoc. for supporting the latest short course for trackwork riders. A celebration BBQ to be held tomorrow for invited guests, to say thank you to all who have helped another 8 young people get jobs in the horse industry.
Enjoy your horses!
Julie Fiedler
Executive Officer, Horse SA
PO Box 483 Plympton SA 5038
Ph +618 8294 2460 Fax +618 8294 2860
Please support Horse SA sponsors on www.horsesa.asn.au