AVA Advocacy on fuel access and affordability issues

 

The AVA has been advocating since 9 March 2026 to national and jurisdictional governments and also through the National Farmers Federation (NFF) and DAFF Fuel Critical Incident Team for veterinarians to be included in any fuel access and affordability measures. Outlined below are the AVA’s key advocacy messages we have been providing.

AVA Advocacy Messages:
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has identified a range of impacts arising from fuel shortages and affordability pressures on the veterinary profession. These impacts highlight key risks and operational implications for consideration as Commonwealth and jurisdictional governments develop their fuel response plans and associated activities

Veterinarians provide essential services that underpin animal welfare, agricultural production, biosecurity and disease surveillance, and disaster response involving animals. Much of this work relies on veterinarians being able to travel to farms, properties, and emergency situations, particularly in rural and regional areas where veterinary services are largely mobile.

In the context of potential fuel supply disruptions or significant fuel price increases, it is important that veterinary services are recognised within government planning as an essential service with priority consideration for fuel access and affordability measures. Veterinary mobility directly supports systems that are already recognised as critical, including livestock production, food security, emergency animal disease surveillance, and disaster response.

If veterinarians lose the ability to travel during a fuel disruption, the consequences may include production losses, delayed detection and control of disease, reduced capacity to respond to animal emergencies and disasters, and increased risks to animal welfare and national biosecurity.

 

Emergency animal care:  

• Injured or critically ill animals requiring urgent treatment
• Humane euthanasia to prevent suffering
• Veterinary response during disasters (floods, bushfires, extreme weather events)

If veterinarians cannot travel to animal emergencies, animals may experience prolonged suffering or death without appropriate care.

Biosecurity and disease management:  

• Herd and flock health monitoring
• Diagnosis and treatment of disease
• Disease surveillance and reporting
• Vaccination programs

Veterinary visits are critical for early detection and management of disease outbreaks. Delays in veterinary attendance could allow diseases to go undiagnosed or untreated, potentially leading to significant animal mortality and increasing risk of disease transmission/spread. This risk is heightened with increasing threats from Emergency Animal Diseases such as H5 Avian Influenza and Lumpy Skin Disease.
Under a One Health framework, delayed detection and response to Emergency Animal Diseases presents a serious and direct threat to human health. Where zoonotic pathogens are involved, failures in early intervention can facilitate spillover events from animals to humans, increase the likelihood of outbreaks in human populations, and compromise efforts to contain emerging infectious diseases. This not only elevates risks to individual and community health, but can place significant strain on public health systems.

Delivery of veterinary medicines and supplies:

• Transport of medicines, vaccines and surgical supplies
• Distribution to veterinary clinics and farms

Disruptions to veterinary supply transport could limit access to medications, vaccines, surgical supplies and treatments, resulting in significant animal welfare risks and compromised disease prevention programs.
Governments should recognise the transport and distribution of veterinary medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and surgical supplies as essential services within fuel planning and response measures. This includes prioritising fuel access for freight and logistics supporting veterinary supply chains to clinics and farms, to prevent disruptions that would limit treatment capacity, compromise disease prevention programs, and create significant animal welfare and biosecurity risks.
 

Livestock production services:

• Pregnancy testing and reproductive management in livestock

Pregnancy testing occurs within a limited seasonal window. If veterinarians cannot travel to farms during this period, producers may lose the ability to make critical herd management decisions, leading to reduced productivity and economic losses for agricultural enterprises.

 

Fuel affordability:

• Significant increases in fuel prices increase operating costs for veterinary services

Veterinary services rely on travel, particularly in rural and regional areas. Fuel price increases are passed through to veterinary service costs, which may reduce primary producers and animals owners accessing veterinary care and result in declines in animal welfare, disease management, and livestock productivity.

 

Veterinary workforce access to clinics and hospitals:

• Veterinarians, nurses and support staff must travel to veterinary premises to provide clinical care and operate veterinary facilities

We note other countries are implementing work-from-home arrangements to reduce fuel consumption. Unlike many sectors that can implement work-from-home arrangements, veterinary care requires the physical presence of veterinarians, veterinary nurses and support staff to examine animals, perform surgery, provide treatment, and operate diagnostic and hospital facilities. Fuel shortages or significant fuel price increases may prevent staff from attending veterinary workplaces, resulting in reduced clinic capacity and limited access to veterinary care for animals.

 

Suggested actions to mitigate fuel issues:

• Ensure veterinarians are recognised as an essential service with priority access to fuel supplies during shortages or supply disruptions
• Recommend fuel excise rebates or targeted fuel subsidies for veterinary services, particularly for rural areas
• Ensure veterinary staff have priority access to fuel to travel to veterinary clinics and hospitals so essential animal services can continue, and consider targeted measures to support fuel affordability for veterinary services.
• Ensure veterinary products, including medicines, equipment, and diagnostics can be transported to rural and regional areas through special provisions, supporting the continued delivery of essential services.
  
  

Is your local fuel station rationing access?
While governments are still developing measures and response plans regarding fuel access and affordability, the AVA are aware of individual fuel stations implementing their own rationing arrangements during periods of low supply. Several individual fuel stations that are rationing fuel supply have recognised veterinarians as essential services and provided continued access. In the interim of government measures, if your local fuel supplier is restricting access, you may wish to contact them directly and share the above messaging to encourage inclusion of veterinarians in any individual station measures they implement.

AVA Next Steps:
The AVA will continue to expand and escalate our advocacy and communications on these fuel access and affordability issues. Please reach out to AVA Senior Advocacy Officer Liz Gemes at Liz.Gemes@ava.com.au if there are any additional points or examples to include the AVA’s representations.

AVA Media Release  - Call for priority fuel access for veterinarians to protect animal welfare, food security and biosecurity.
AVA Facebook Media release