Vets say lab closure places biosecurity at risk

The recent announcement about the closure of the state government’s veterinary pathology laboratories in Orange and Wollongbar has caused alarm among the New South Wales veterinary community. The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is seeking a meeting with Minister Ian Macdonald following the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) announcement to close the service and centralise the laboratory facilities at Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute in Menangle. “We have genuine concerns that closing these labs will put the country at greater risk to potential disease threats,” NSW Division President Dr Nigel Scott said. “In light of recent events such as equine influenza, rather than reducing our response mechanisms to disease threat, we think it would be more prudent to enhance them. “Our biggest fear is if we experience a disease outbreak there will not be the resources we need in the places we need them. These labs are at the frontline of disease surveillance. “We will see some real losses of local experience and more importantly local knowledge and understanding of the biosecurity threat. “The Beale Review into Australia’s biosecurity arrangements recommended that states work with the national body to improve the quality and use of their labs to support our biosecurity status. “Our concern is that we lose a great capacity to do this by closing the labs,” Dr Scott said. “We need reassurance about the fallbacks in place from the Minister and are therefore very keen to discuss our concerns. We would welcome a meeting with him as soon as possible. “As the profession at the frontline in dealing with disease outbreaks we need to be reassured that this decision is in the best interest for the safety of the country.”