A Victorian parliamentary petition has been launched in response to growing outrage over the alleged neglect of horses at a Mount Eliza property on the Mornington Peninsula.
Hastings local Tracey Asquith created the petition on 1 May 2025, calling for the introduction of the draft Animal Care and Protection Bill. The petition has already attracted more than 750 signatures and is expected to be sponsored by Georgie Purcell MP from the Animal Justice Party.
“The RSPCA and also Victorian Agriculture, which is a government department, they can only do what the current legislation lets them do,” said Ms Asquith.
“They probably need more money so they can employ more inspectors to do the work, but they also need this stronger legislation so that they’ve got something in their armoury that they can bring to bear and make a change.”
The petition follows a community protest near a Mount Eliza property alleged to be housing more than 30 neglected horses. Protest organiser Carly Wine said the horses have been suffering for years.
“So today was just to raise awareness about a number of horses that have been systemically neglected and abused,” Wine said.
“We’ve witnessed for many years horses dying in the paddocks. We’ve witnessed carcasses being pulled into piles and set on fire in the paddocks in front of other animals.
This needs to stop. The RSPCA have been involved but it’s always a short-term solution.
We are looking now for a long-term solution and what I’m looking for and everyone who’s turned up here is looking for action from the RSPCA, and ideally that would be removal of horses and potentially not being able to have animals in her care in future.”
The woman at the centre of the allegations, Maxine Fraser, was banned from the racing industry in 2012. Locals claim she continues to house horses in worsening conditions.
“This is an indiscriminate breeding situation,” said Miriam from Herd Harmony.
“We know that she has three to four stallions that are running free with mares. The stallions are covering their daughters, the colts are covering their mothers.
So we don’t have just starving horses. We’ve got horses with incompatible with healthy life deformities — bowed legs, legs that are completely unusable.”
In response, RSPCA Victoria confirmed an active investigation and said seven underweight horses were identified on the property. A large feed delivery has since been made, providing temporary relief for the animals.
📢 View and sign the petition here
STPL News will continue to follow this developing story.
