Qld: Horse owners to launch class action over EI

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2008
Qld: Horse owners to launch class action over EI

By Evan Schwarten

BRISBANE, April 30 AAP - A Queensland law firm is preparing to launch a multi-million
dollar class action against the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) over
the horse flu outbreak.

More than 300 horse owners have already registered their interest in joining a class
action with Gold Coast-based law firm Atwood Marshall.

Lawyer Jeff Garrett said the action could not be launched until the findings of an
independent inquiry into last year's equine influenza (EI) outbreak are tabled in federal
parliament.

However, after hearing evidence presented to the inquiry that problems at Sydney's
Eastern Creek Quarantine Station were to blame for the outbreak, he expected the AQIS
to be the subject of any action.

"If the findings come out as we expect, I am sure that not long after that we are probably
going to have a number of court actions which will proceed," Mr Garrett said.

"If you look at the submissions of counsel assisting the inquiry, if they are accepted
or even 50 per cent of them are accepted, it's hard to imagine that AQIS are not going
to be in the firing line."

The total damages claim is yet to be determined but Mr Garrett estimated it could total
tens of millions of dollars.

The outbreak crippled the thoroughbred industry in Queensland and NSW and resulted
in losses estimated at more than $1 billion.

Mr Garrett said he expected thousands more horse owners to join the action once the
findings were made public.

He said the outbreak had a "huge" impact on many of his clients.

"There's been people who have been completely devastated by it - right across the board
there's just been complete devastation and widespread losses," Mr Garrett said.

AAP ews/pjo/jm/bwl

KEYWORD: STALLIONS LAWSUIT

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