7.30 report: Caboolture abattoir inspected following shocking horse slaughter report

The Queensland’s Racing Minister and industry leaders have condemned horrific footage captured at a Queensland abbatoir, with the State Government leaving the door open to regulating the rehoming of former racehorses.

RACING Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe has left the door open to regulating the rehoming of former racehorses in the wake of horrific footage captured at a Queensland abattoir.

Biosecurity Queensland officers and police will undertake an initial investigation at the Caboolture abattoir following reports last night that race horses had been sent there to be slaughtered.

Mr Hinchcliffe said there needed to be a conversation around how a horse moves from being an active racehorse to a former racehorse.

A screenshot taken from the ABC 730 Report on the mass slaughter of racehorses, the segment went to air on Thursday, November 17, 2019.

He left the door open to expanding legislation to include the rehoming of race horses.

Queensland Racing Integrity Commission commissioner Ross Barnett said the body didn’t have any control or authority over abattoirs and their operations.

“As a human being I was absolutely disgusted with what I saw,” he said.

“It’s completely unacceptable to see racehorses, retired or otherwise treated in that way that we saw.”

Racing Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe Picture: Dave Hunt

Mr Hinchcliffe said he was bringing forward a forum about the rehoming of racehorses which was scheduled for mid-November to next week.

Agricultural Minister Mark Furner refused to say whether he considered the slaughter of the horses wastage.

Mr Hinchcliffe wouldn’t say whether he considered the Caboolture issue as wastage but said he was “certainly concerned about undue wastage in the industry”.

“The issues that we saw last night were focused on the absolute abhorrent mistreatment of animals and that’s an issue that I think is the first thing we need to be addressing and responding to,” he said.

Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell has condemned the footage.

“The vision we witnessed at the Caboolture abattoir last night was distressing,” Mr Parnell said.

Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell has condemned the footage aired by 7.30. File picture

“The inhumane treatment of horses – be it thoroughbreds, standardbreds or otherwise – is abhorrent and should not be happening under any circumstance.

“As an industry, we have a collective responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of our horses.

“We fully support Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe’s decision to fast-track the industry forum on re-homing and are committed to working alongside the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission and the broader industry to deliver change.

“This is a national issue. In Australia, there needs to be a system to track horse movement once they leave the industry. A national horse traceability program is critical”.

EARLIER: Inspectors have been ordered to a Caboolture abattoir amid reports race horses have been sent there to be slaughtered.

ABC’s 7.30 reported overnight that horses sent to the Caboolture abattoir were subjected to electric shocks, with hundreds of racing horses killed at the site.

Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe this morning took to social media, saying any claims of animal cruelty would be investigated.

“The mistreatment of animals is abhorrent,” he said.

“Inspectors have been ordered into a Caboolture abattoir immediately.

“Any further actions required will be taken.”

Footage allegedly taken inside the abattoir and aired on the ABC showed horses being kicked and stomped on.

LNP racing spokesman John-Paul Langbroek said revelations that racehorses were being sent to slaughter houses was deeply disturbing.

John-Paul Langbroek blamed the Palaszczuk Government for not maintaining animal welfare standards. Picture: AAP Image/Jono Searle

“Animal welfare standards should be the priority for the Palaszczuk Labor Government, but this is yet another failure,” he said.

“QRIC has completely failed their own animal welfare objectives to ensure racing animals are cared for before, during and after racing.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to explain why these animal welfare failures have happened and why QRIC has been an expensive failure.”