Advocacy Update - June/July 2023

10 Aug 2023

The AVA’s Veterinary and Public Affairs (VPA) team consists of the Advocacy team, Policy team, and Special Interest Groups (SIGs). 

The last 2 months have seen 15 policies progressed through to the Board for ratification, following the Policy Council meeting which took place at the AVA Annual Conference in Adelaide. (see below).

Advocacy work has been focussed on the NSW parliamentary inquiry into the veterinary workforce shortage, however, other work has continued with submissions on a variety of other issues including;

  • Animal welfare – Kangaroo harvest management
  • Veterinary Medicines – minor use permits and compounded medicines
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Biosecurity

We encourage you to get involved to provide input into activities the AVA is commenting on or undertaking.

Key advocacy activities (national)

Workforce sustainabilty and wellbeing

In early June 2023 the NSW established a parliamentary committee to inquire into and report on the veterinary workforce shortage in NSW. Given the national importance of this issue, the collective advocacy team engaged with the broad membership, SIGS and other stakeholders to inform the AVA’s submission. The AVA briefed the Inquiry Committee Members in late June around the current state of the profession. The consultation process took place over several weeks and generated over 50 000 words of member feedback, with 15 stakeholder meetings undertaken during the process.  We provided an initial summary of the key points in the AVA submission and encouraged the membership to consider using in their individual submissions. To date there are 209 submissions on the NSW Government inquiry website, many from individual veterinarians.

The AVA has provided a comprehensive submission to the inquiry. This submission discusses the complex challenges and suggested strategies by individually addressing each of the inquiry’s terms of reference (TOR), including providing 16 vital recommendations. The AVA believes these recommendations provide the foundation for constructive dialogue and serve as a roadmap for strategic improvements to safeguard and fortify the veterinary workforce. They underscore the urgency of addressing workforce shortages while also illuminating pathways towards long-term solutions and the sustainable growth of the profession. 

A media release talking to the submission was released on the 27th of July and an opinion piece included in the national newsletter.

We look forward to presenting to the Inquiry committee in late August.

National Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements

The AVA are making several representations at the national level advocating for:

  • veterinary care to disaster impacted animals to be an eligible measure for funding assistance in the national Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA)
  • public awareness campaigns specifically tailored towards animal disaster preparedness
  • for all disaster impact reporting include data on animal injuries and deaths.

The AVA lodged a submission to the Independent Review into Commonwealth Disaster Funding talking to these issues and provided input into other organisation’s submissions.

AVA welcomes the release of the VSANZ education review – rethinking veterinary education

The AVA was involved in a joint media release with VSANZ welcoming the review.  The report has been reviewed by the AVA and the AVA is supportive of recommendations that have both direct and indirect relevance to the profession. We released a joint media release about the report with VSANZ and the New Zealand Veterinary Association.

Policy Advisory Council (PAC) update

PAC met on Saturday 27 May at the Adelaide Convention Centre ahead of the AVA Annual Conference. As a result of that meeting, 15 policies were progressed to the Board for ratification, 2 for Member Comment, and a further 20 Working Groups have been established to update many of the older policies in the compendium.

The newly ratified policies include the “Great veterinary workplaces” policy, which is one of a suite of policies that underpin the AVA’s wellness strategy THRIVE.  These can be found as a group on the AVA’s policy webpage here.

Ratified policies

The AVA Board ratified the following 15 policies on Thursday 20 July:

Policies for member comment

The following 2 policies are available for member comment.  Please log in to the AVA website and have your say in the member Forum:

  • Electroejaculation of bulls, rams, and bucks
  • AVA clinical veterinary internship guidelines

 A review of all of the policies developed in the 2022-23 PAC annual cycle can be found here.

Key advocacy activities (Divisions)

 

ACT

  • ACT Veterinarians’ rights to dispense - The ACT Veterinary Practitioner’s Board and AVA ACT Division Committee have sought clarification from the ACT Chief Pharmacist about a veterinarian’s right to dispense medication.
  • The ACT Division Committee are reviewing and providing feedback on the proposed new codes of practice for the:
    • the Keeping and Breeding of Ferrets in the ACT;
    • the Keeping and Breeding of Guinea Pigs in the ACT;
    • the Keeping and Breeding of Rabbits in the ACT; and
    • the Keeping and Breeding of Rats and Mice (Rodents) in the ACT.

VIC

  •  Cat management strategy key stakeholder consultation summary report - The AVA provided information to Animal Welfare Victoria on Cat Management, according to the AVA Management of cats in Australia policy.
  • Cancelled: Proposed additional veterinary reporting requirements for Occupational Health and Safety Regulations - The AVA provided a written submission and was involved in workshops to provide information around whether certain notifiable illnesses, including zoonotic illnesses, should have additional reporting requirements to WorkSafe. As a result of all the feedback received and further analysis undertaken on these changes, it is no longer proposed to prescribe illnesses as notifiable incidents at this time. WorkSafe expressed that the feedback was greatly appreciated and thanked the AVA for the time and contribution to this work.
  • Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan Review – The AVA has made a submission around the review of the Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan.
  • Every pet counts – take part in the Victorian Pet Census 30 June 2023 - In an Australian first, the Victorian Government launched a Pet Census to help shape the future of animal welfare and ensure pet owners have the support and services they need. "The AVA welcomes this move by the Victorian government. Animals play an essential role in our lives. Having accurate data on the pet population will assist in planning to meet their health needs," said Dr Cathy Deague, AVA Victoria Division President.
  • Inquiry into Victoria's Recreational Native Bird Hunting Arrangements - The AVA has been contributing to discussions that assist in the review of Victoria’s recreational native bird hunting arrangements.
  • Victorian registration fee changes will go ahead despite opposition - Despite receiving 500 submissions equating to 12% of the Victorian veterinary profession, and also while recognising that the 15% increase in most fees and revocation of free honorary general registration is not supported by all members of the profession, the Veterinary Practitioners Board (VPB) of Victoria has decided to implement the changes to the Victorian Vet Board's fee structure as originally proposed. Representing the veterinary profession, AVA Victorian Division met with the VPB of Victoria and also provided a written submission, strongly disagreeing with the proposed changes and explaining the financial impact that it would have on veterinarians in Victoria, particularly in the current veterinary shortage crisis.

  • Opportunities to get involved in Victoria

TAS

  • Tasmanian Government’s request for information - The AVA welcomes the Tasmanian Government’s request for information around mechanisms to support Tasmanian veterinarians, acknowledging the significant challenges being faced by Tasmanian veterinary hospitals.

 

NSW

  • AVA submission to the Inquiry into the veterinary workforce shortage in NSW - The AVA has provided a comprehensive submission to the Inquiry into veterinary workforce shortages in NSW, including 16 recommendations.
  • Opportunities to get involved in NSW
    • Consultation for Inquiry into Pounds in NSW - member feedback is requested to inform the AVA submission to the Inquiry into Pounds in NSW.

QLD

  • Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Framework and Strategy consultation - The AVA have been invited to participate in the QLD Government’s consultation to develop a DFV Framework and Strategy. This has allowed the AVA to provide insight around how veterinary teams could be better supported when they encounter DFV related situations during their work in practice.
  • Opportunities to get involved in QLD
    • Consultation - Queensland dog laws - Member feedback was sought on this Qld Government discussion paper. The Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 is the primary law used by local governments in regulating and managing dangerous dogs.

 SA

 

WA

  • Advocacy - AVA WA Division President-elect, Dr Katie Kreutz, represented the AVA at the recent Dairy Innovation Day held in Narrikup, hosted by Ravenhill Pastoral.
  • The AVA Advocacy team also continues through a recent meeting with Senator Slade Brockman to inform and engage discussion around the critical issues facing the veterinary profession in WA, especially in regional areas and across after-hours emergency services.

 

NT

  • The AVA's advocacy team is looking into the safety risks for veterinary staff providing after-hours services and progressing discussions with the NT Veterinary Board around how current legislation and other regulations impact on access to veterinary services when vets are unable to attend a practice due to staffing or geographical restrictions.
  • Subsidised Vet Nurse Training through TAFE 2023 - Thank you to everyone who provided valuable information through the AVA NT Qualified Vet Nurse survey that was conducted last year. In follow up to this, we are in communication with organisations who are progressing options for Cert II and Cert IV Vet Nurse training programs to be available for NT nurses in 2023 and beyond.

 

Key advocacy activities (Special Interest Groups)

Unusual Pet and Avian Veterinarians

  • Meat Rabbit Welfare Working Group - In May the Working Group for Rabbit Meat Industry Welfare wrote to all safe food authorities and the animal welfare regulators in each state. In the first instance, the purpose was to gather information on how each (state/territory), and the responsible government departments, currently regulate this industry in terms of both animal welfare and food safety. We have received a number of responses from:
    • Department of Health | WA
    • PrimeSafe | VIC
    • Biosecurity Queensland | Department of Agriculture and Fisheries | QLD
  • Consultation on the Small Mammal codes of practice in the ACT - The ACT Animal Welfare Advisory Committee have invited the AVA to provide feedback four newly proposed codes of practice (COP) involving the Keeping and Breeding of Ferrets, Rabbits, Rodents and Guinea Pigs in the ACT.

Australian Small Animal Veterinarians

  • ASAV contributed to the AVA feedback around Qld stronger dog laws consultation.

 Veterinary Business Group

  • The VBG committee have been continuing to build external stakeholder relationships with Australian Rainbow Vets and Allies and the NZVA with meetings to discuss synergies between those groups and the VBG.
  • The VBG Committee provided feedback and comments to inform the AVA Submission to the Inquiry into Veterinary Workforce Shortages in NSW

Australian Veterinary Behavioural Medicine

  • AVBM contributed to the AVA feedback around Qld stronger dog laws consultation.

Australian Greyhound Working & Sporting Dog Veterinarians

  • The Group made a submission to the Submission to the Commonwealth Government Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee in relation to the Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Export and Import Prohibition.) The Committee is examining whether all imports and exports of racing Greyhounds, both live animals and of reproductive material, should be prohibited. In summary the AGWSDV is not supportive of the proposed legislation, but for animal welfare reasons, continues to remain in favour of any changes to legislation that will result in improvements in the welfare of the greyhound.

Equine Veterinarians Australia

  • The EVA President, Dr Hadley Willsallen and the Executive Officer, Jeffrey Wilkinson, met with the Hon. Fiona Nash, Regional Commissioner

Production Animal Special Interest Groups

  • Meetings continue around the country regarding EAD preparedness and the AVA is participating in many of these.

THRIVE Update

The THRIVE Cultivating Safe Teams pilot program has been launched and together with our training partner, Aspect Group, we will be delivering the program to the selected 50 workplaces, between September 2023 and December 2024.
 
An industry specific Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework developed by veterinary stakeholders, will form part of a suite of resources available to participants of the pilot program.

The framework aims to support individuals, workplaces, and organisations to implement mental health and wellbeing strategies that positively impact mental health outcomes for all veterinary team members. It highlights the importance of an integrated approach to wellness: Preventing harm from psychosocial hazards in the industry, Promoting strengths, capabilities and the rewards of work, and Protecting us when we experience stress and mental ill-health.

Public Affairs update

In June and July, the AVA’s VPA team participated in a wide range of external stakeholder meetings. Meetings were held with a number of members of state parliaments, advisors of several federal ministers, government departments, not for profit organisations, and private sector stakeholders involved the veterinary profession.

Since the last report, the AVA has continued to feature strongly in the media and social media. We have issued  3 media releases which can be found here.

World Zoonosis Day took place on 6 July, the AVA reminded members of its policy on zoonotic disease and the resources and advocacy we undertake in this area. The first case of Hendra for 2023 was reported in late July.

The AVA has worked with external stakeholders to communicate information of relevance to the veterinary profession including:

As always, we welcome any feedback you have around our updates - please email publicvetaffairs@ava.com.au.

Best wishes,

Cristy Secombe, Graham Pratt, Melanie Latter, and Jeffrey Wilkinson, on behalf of the Veterinary and Public Affairs team