Horse-drawn vehicles
Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (09:40): Most wins for animals are hard fought and won. The campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages from Melbourne’s CBD was no different. For 10 years now Melbourne Against Horse-Drawn Carriages has been protesting on the streets and documenting cruelty, traffic infringements, carriage flips and sadly even horse deaths only a few blocks from this place. Their work showed that the romanticised idea of a horse-drawn carriage ride is nothing more than animal cruelty. It has been an honour for me to bring their messages and stories into the Parliament to advocate for change. It has not just been animal advocates speaking out against the trade. For too long horse-drawn vehicles have been hindering emergency vehicles and interfering with trams. It is no surprise horses and busy streets simply do not mix.
Last week the Minister for Roads and Road Safety announced that horse-drawn carriages would finally be banned in Melbourne’s CBD. It comes after a roundtable process, which Melbourne Against Horse-Drawn Carriages and the Animal Justice Party took part in, was finalised, and the regulation takes effect next month. I want to thank everyone who played a part to make this happen, taking us one step closer to a kinder world for horses.