National Horse Traceability Register

Horse Industry Consultative Committee latest meeting.

The Horse Industry Consultative Committee (HICC) is the principal consultative forum for the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DAWE) to engage with industry on equine biosecurity, quarantine and market access issues, and related animal health and welfare matters. Dr Patricia Ellis represents the Australian Horse Industry Council on the HICC. 

The HICC most recently met by teleconference on 23 April 2020. 

Items discussed at the HICC meeting included:

·       an update on operations at the Mickleham post entry quarantine station

·       the type of swab used for taking samples for equine influenza

·       the impact of COVID 19 on the international movement of flying grooms

·       a review of the glanders status of different countries

·       African horse sickness in Thailand

·       national horse traceability

·       identification requirements for horse imported from New Zealand

·       import clearance of horses at seaports

 

For more detail - the minutes of the meeting have been published on the DAWE website:

 

National Horse Traceability Register

The second Public Hearing by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport will be held at Parliament House Canberra on Friday, September 20.

Mark Burnell, President of the AHIC will appear before the committee at 10am.

The committee is examining the feasibility of a National Horse Traceability Register for all horses, with particular reference to:

  1. the existence and adequacy of state or industry-based registers;

  2. the benefits of a national register, including for animal welfare, biosecurity safety (including for the prevention and management of Emergency Animal Diseases, such as equine influenza and African Horse Sickness), backyard breeding and the integrity of trade in horses;

  3. overseas models of national tracking systems for horses;

  4. funding, enforcement and penalty implications; and

  5. any related matters.

A number of submissions have been made to the committee, including by the AHIC. The committee will report back by December 5.