President’s message from Dr Diana Barker – March 2024

^{Image: Diana Barker and fellow AVA Director Gemma Chuck, AVA Conference 2022}

AVA Conference 2024

In just over 2 months the veterinary community will come together in Melbourne for our profession’s annual conference. I have attended a few conferences over the years, and I can unreservedly say the AVA Conference is an absolute highlight of my year. The annual conference provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with colleagues, exchange ideas and be motivated by inspiring speakers, it has certainly helped shaped my ideas and career growth over the years.

For me personally, to see the AVA’s THRIVE program grow each year and offer our community the support and resources that are so needed right now is incredibly satisfying. For this year’s conference, we have expanded the THRIVE Wellness Symposium to a full day of professional and personal wellbeing and learning. After last year’s Symposium in Adelaide, I returned to my practice with a long list of ideas on how we can continue to create a psychologically safe workplace and foster a better culture of support and individual success.

I firmly believe the AVA Conference stands head and shoulders above any comparable veterinary professional development event in this country. The breadth and depth of face-to-face learning on offer is impressive and the opportunity to have thought-provoking conversations with my colleagues about the future of our profession is enormously rewarding.

Whether you’re just starting out or in the thick of building a career, I wholeheartedly encourage you to invest in yourself (or a team member!) and join me in Melbourne this May – I guarantee the investment will pay dividends. And if you see me, please come up and say hello!

AVA Board Nominations

By now you will have received several notifications inviting you to nominate to join the AVA Board. I’ve been an AVA Director since May 2021 and AVA President since August 2023. There are 8 other directors responsible for setting the direction of the AVA, making strategic decisions and ensuring effective risk management. If you have prior experience as an executive office holder within a Special Interest Group, Division, Board-approved Group or Branch, as a member of the Policy Advisory Council, or as a representative of another veterinary professional body recognised by the AVA, please consider nominating to join our leadership team. Not only will you help to create a lasting impact, but you’ll also hone your teamwork and decision-making skills and forge strong connections throughout our industry.

Being a part of the AVA board is incredibly rewarding, with opportunities to contribute to the direction of our professional association, advocating on behalf of our profession to achieve meaningful change and ensuring the AVA is delivering value for its members. I encourage you to apply.

AVA Advocacy Agenda

Our recent pre-budget submission highlighted some of the AVA’s advocacy goals for the year, particularly around enhancing availability and accessibility of veterinary services across Australia.

6 key recommendations were:

• Build and retain a regional veterinary workforce with a Rural Bonding Scheme and inclusion of veterinary professionals into rural subsidy schemes
• Support mental health through funding of AVA's THRIVE wellness initiative
• Ensure sustainable veterinary services through funding public good delivered by the private veterinary sector (including biosecurity, natural disasters and wildlife care)
• Support development of animal welfare standards and pet food regulation
• Invest in data-driven health success through improved workforce data
• Invest in the next generation of vets with increased university funding

I encourage you to engage with these issues as we communicate them widely over the coming year and support the AVA’s advocacy work to bring positive change and growth to our profession.