At a NSWPA Board Meeting last night, held by conference call, the following motions were voted on & passed:

1. The NSWPA releases all clubs from their obligation to run their designated tournaments for the remainder of the 2007 season.
2. Any Club that wishes to run any form of polo competition, if approved by the DPI, would have the full support of the NSWPA.
3. All liaison with the DPI, in relation to holding any form of polo competition, is to be conducted through the NSWPA.
4. The NSWPA cancels the Hector King tournament.

NOTE: All players should constantly monitor the DPI website to check for updates: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/horse/influenza

The following clubs have notified NSWPA that their tournaments have been cancelled: SPCC, Riverlands, Killarney Wirragulla, Scone.
Others are likely to be cancelled if the movement restrictions continue.

Wendy Cohen, CEO of the Equestrian Federation of Australia (EFA) www.efansw.com.au, addressed the Board and answered questions.
Points she made included:
· The EFA NSW has been formally recognized by the Government to represent the interested parties for the sport and recreational horses and can provide a conduit of information to the relevant government departments.
· It is too early to say what the EFA’s view on vaccination will be.
· NSWPA will send delegates to an industry meeting convened by the EFA next week.


Dr Barry Smythe, Australian Horse Industry Council spoke to Suzie Ruse earlier in the day. Notes from the conversation were circulated at the meeting and are below for your information.

FROM DR. BARRY SMYTHE, Australian Horse Industry Council www.horsecouncil.org.au
National body representing horse industry, especially recreational sectors.

NSW & QLD – separate from rest of country
NSW remains a control area, standstill of horse movement, will remind in place until disease is under control & maybe longer.
In the forseeable future events not able to be run.
Continuing to get reports of new infections on a daily basis.
Will continue to get cases for the next few weeks
Should peak in the next week or 2, then should start to die out.
Cross over between horses that have been infected & now becoming immune, this should also help stop spread of disease then disease should die out.

Movement restrictions continue for 30 days after last case is diagnosed. Incubation is about 5 days

Cases should tail off mid-late October – very difficult to say but this is best guesstimate at the moment, then add 30 days.

Everything under movement standstill except under permit. In restricted areas there is extra security for people moving in & out.

The DPI NSW would advise on lifting of restrictions on horse movements & events after clear time. The restrictions may not be lifted immediately the 30 days ends.
Centennial Park may be treated like a closed population race track but people can’t go & watch. If disease deemed to be under control, spectators may be negotiable.

Containment working well. Everything in NSW outside Eastern Creek can be related to the event in Maitland.

Recreational sector is 4-5 larger than racing sector

Vaccination

Under consideration by 2 committees
First committee looking at disease & strain & potential vaccines that might be useful
Second committee looking at cost/benefit of vaccinating vs not vaccinating.
Studies from overseas show in favour of not vaccinating, letting burn out
No vaccine approved for use in Australia – would need approval
Different types of vaccine, one is genetically modified, would need extra approval.

If Australia is to do something about vaccinating, it would take a while to get here, a while to get vaccinated, minimum 2 shots, take a while for horses to develop immunity. This matches time frames above when disease will already be on way out.

Vaccination is not very good at preventing disease. Stallions at Eastern Creek were vaccinated. It masks clinical signs, makes disease more diff to detect. There are also international trade implications.

It is seen as cure all but not the case at all. Significant costs for horse owners, will cause issues & problems down the track. Cost depends on what vaccine, import, storage, transport, distribution, recording/administration, second dose & maybe 3rd.


From Wal Ashton, 5.9.07: Discussion had with “Equestrian Federation of Australia”

Australia is attempting to contain the virus and because of this the task is substantially more difficult than was the case in South Africa and Hong Kong.

If we vaccinate then we lose or “Free of Equine Influenza” status and quarantine periods would have to be substantially extended. This would have the affect of curtailing or even ending the shuttle of International Stallions from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere each year. The racing industry and the Government are prepared to invest heavily in maintaining our “EI free status”.

From the last out break of EI 50 days must elapse till the property is out of quarantine.

South Africa and Hong Kong were in lock down for between 4 and 5 months. They now vaccinate. We are attempting to not vaccinate so eradication of the virus would probably take longer.


Wal Ashton, NSWPA President writes: With racing locked down for 2 months, polo is now very doubtful that polo will be played in NSW this Spring due to a range of issues. A final decision will be made next Thursday.

Please circulate to your players & all interested parties connected to your club.

Please refer to the NSW DPI's website for the latest updates
or the hotline set up: 1800 675 888.
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/horse/influenza

END