The horse flu outbreaks in New South Wales and Queensland have now been successfully eradicated and Australia has declared itself provisionally free of EI. Almost all of the EI-related restrictions have now been lifted. The only EI-related requirement left for Tasmania is that any horse coming into the State must be accompanied by a Tasmanian Horse Importation Declaration (THID) - this can be downloaded from the DPIW website. This is, basically, a declaration that the horse is not sick and a record of where the horse is coming from and going to - a tracing log that would be of immense value if there were another outbreak.
Please be aware that other States may require a similar declaration so, if your horse is crossing two or more State borders to get to Tasmania (ie from another state via Victoria) it is worth checking the relevant State's web site prior to arranging the movement to ensure all necessary paperwork is in place. More details and permit forms etc. are available on the Department of Primary Industries and Water (DPIW) website or by phoning 6233 6875. If you are planning to import a horse and that involves moving the horse across state borders on the mainland, please be aware that some other states have a requirement similar to the THID. Please check the relevant State's DPI website for that requirement and to download the declaration you'd need to move a horse into that state.
