Australian Quarantine official stands down
Updated
The head of the Australian Quarantine Service, AQIS has stood aside because of the findings of an inquiry into last year's horse flu outbreak.
The Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke has released the report from the former High Court Judge, Ian Callinan into last year's horse flu outbreak.
He says Mr Callinan was scathing about AQIS.
"Systemic failures, understaffed not an impenetrable maze of bureaucratic confusion," he said.
As a result the AQIS executive Director, Stephen Hunter has decided to stand aside.
Mr Callinan says disease was probably brought to Australia by horses from Japan and likely to have escaped from quarantine because vets, grooms and farriers did not decontaminate themselves or their equipment properly.
He says responsibility is shared.
Mr Burke has adopted all 38 of Mr Callinan's recommendations.
He says its hard to say how much the devastating outbreak cost, but he now expects those involved to sue.
