The Beagle Editor,
Lisa Ryan, Animal Liberation’s Regional Campaigns Manager confirmed: “We’ve been left with no other alternative than to escalate our concerns to Ms Tuckerman, Mr Warren and Dr Holland, because ESC has failed to adequately respond our communications. Rather, ESC has dug in their heals, even suggesting we were seeking preferential treatment and this simply isn’t true. All we have endeavoured to do is obtain responses to valid questions and concerns from a publicly funded and fully accountable local government council. Public transparency is critical in all layers of government, and in this instance, ESC is not a good reflection of the intent of a ‘self-governing’ council.”
“Through some internal and hard to fathom decision making, ESC has decided that this rodeo matter which includes significant public interest, will be back at council, in a report for decision makers on 28 February. This arbitrary decision about the 28 February council meeting is in spite of the important questions we have put to council about the accuracy of the unprecedented volume of submissions, and the limited time available for council staff to compile a report, and councillors to review every single submission. Given council meeting agendas are published days ahead of meetings, the time allocated is not what we consider either adequate or reasonable.”
From the outset, ESC’s wording of the public exhibition notification varied from what was agreed by councillors and recorded in the 22 November 2022 meeting Minutes. For reasons which remain a mystery, while the council meeting Minutes state “… Council’s intention to consider approving a further 5-year licence” whereas, the public exhibition notice state “… Council’s proposed intention to grant a licence for rodeo events, including a five-year licence to Rodeo Association of Moruya …”
“We have continued to raise concerns about the transparency of public information regarding past ESC rodeo licence approvals, which we maintain were made in a vacuum. Over time our concerns have increased rather than diminished.”
“Recently ESC confirmed it had received approximately 1,750 submissions. We dispute this because our records confirm that over 1,860 Animal Liberation supporters alone, lodged individual submissions. We are extremely alarmed that the intended council report will potentially fail to include all submissions, including those lodged by experts from animal welfare and animal law organisations. Rather than doggedly push ahead to meet a predetermined meeting schedule, ESC would be well advised to account for all submissions lodged before compiling its report to ensure public confidence in council’s assessment and decision-making processes.”
“Our request, that in the interests of public transparency, ESC publish all submissions, remains unanswered. Similar requests for information and documents about other rodeo events including those held under the auspice of the Eurobodalla District Show Society, also remain unanswered. How can anyone competently provide feedback in response to this application for a rodeo licence, if access to pertinent information and documents is denied?”
Lisa Ryan, Animal Liberation’s Regional Campaigns Manager, confirms that “Animal Liberation agents attended the New Year’s Day Moruya rodeo and witnessed hour after hour of deliberate and wilful torment and provocation being inflicted on these animals to force them to ‘perform’. The unrelenting fear, terror, and discomfort experienced by these animals was an abhorrent spectacle of animal suffering, pain, and cruelty – the distress from the animals was palpable, inexcusable, and abhorrent. We have provided RSPCA NSW access to all our material and we would consider it both prudent and responsible for ESC to consider any outcome of the investigation being undertaken by the state’s leading animal welfare authority.” Video link #1 (Steer): https://www.facebook.com/reel/573993060940738/?s=single_unit Video link #2 (Bronco) #2 (Bronco): https://www.facebook.com/reel/1151208435596595/?s=single_unit Video link #3 (Compilation): https://fb.watch/iGyyxI-7e1/
Animal Liberation
Military Road, Mosman
