The RSPCA has discovered hundreds of horses on Palm Island have endured torture and neglect at the hands of teenagers in the Aboriginal community on the North Queensland island. The Queensland State Government has reportedly said it refused to get involved and take action despite clear "photographic and anecdotal evidence" and has proposed an 'education program'. RSPCA inspectors are understandably angered by the government's inaction in removing the tortured and neglected animals.

Senior inspectors with decades of experience were reduced to tears at the plight of some animals on the most recent trip to the island three weeks ago.

Veteran inspector Mal Holland said: "This is the worst case on a mass scale of cruelty and neglect we have ever seen in this state and our hands are tied. It is heart-breaking.

"The only way those horses can be saved is if you get them off the island."
When the inspectors pressed the government for action they got little responce:

Mr Holland's frustrated colleagues say they are also battling apathetic and scared bureaucrats who cite "cultural sensitivity".

The ABC's The World Today reports that the Aboriginal Community and the State Government have started pointing fingers at each other, Palm Island's Aboriginal Community Council Chairwoman, Delena Foster said

We actually asked RSPCA two years ago to come and help us with the situation, and we recently got some money through ATSIC to put on two animal control officers, so what we got them to do was actually build a yard that we could put the horses that had owners, and then the ones that didn't have owners we were going to barge them off the community.

The last time the RSPCA came out to have a look at the horses, they were hidden by some of the people there. Unfortunately we certainly hope that that's not going to be the case now.

However RSPCA consultant Wayne Coolwell says they're both to blame and should just get on with fixing the situation.

I'm Aboriginal myself and I don't like to accuse my own people of things like this, but it's self-evident, Louise, and cruelty is cruelty, and when you see the photographs and you hear the stories, there's obviously a real problem on that island.

I don't want to accuse the Government of neglect, but I've got to be honest with you and say that they've had opportunities to address this issue over the last, since I've been involved in it, the last four or five years. They know about the issue, but as I said I think on the priority list, it's way down.

The State Government has since said that they will start removing the abused animals, but the Aboriginal council has stated that it will demand 'compensation' for animals removed.

Palm Island Aboriginal Council deputy chairman Alfred Lacey said the animals were a "marketable export commodity" that could fetch up to $1000 each.

He said the islanders would have a community get-together to discuss the threatened removal and compensation issue.

"These people have to be paid money for their horses. The Government can't just take them away for nothing, even the sick ones," Mr Lacey said.

"They (the Government) wouldn't get away with it anywhere else in the state. They have to compensate when they take white fellas' land, don't they?"

This is a disgusting play of the race card. This is not land being taken, these are abused animals and the RSPCA has a mandate that allows it to remove abused & neglected animals without permission from or compensation for the owner. That is what is happening here and Mr Lacey is trying to obscure the issue by turning it into a race issue. As RSPCA chief executive officer Mark Townend said:

"It's an outrageous claim to want compensation. If they can injure and neglect their horses they obviously don't value them at all."

Owners of animals seized are never compensated for removal of their animals under current legislation. Their only recourse is through civil courts.