NSW Division President Report - May

For those who went to the AVA conference at the beginning of the month you would be aware of some of the initiatives that will affect the whole profession. The first was the launch of the THRIVE initiative, with a seminar the day before conference started with 140 delegates focussed on solutions for safeguarding mental health in veterinary teams. This includes a pilot program called ‘Cultivating Safe Teams’. This will roll out across practices throughout the country and I’d encourage member sin NSW to nominate for inclusion in the program! Details can be found here.

The second was the policies endorsed by Policy Advisory Council (PAC). A full report is available here. Representatives from every SIG and Division were present to discuss the policies and present feedback from the membership. Of note, policies covering the establishment of a national CDC, surgical artificial insemination of dogs, and medication of animals for air transport were all discussed. These policies inform our advocacy, and the PAC process ensures that our advocacy is evidence-based and robust. Thanks very much to Dr Mikala Walsh who has served as Policy Councillor for the NSW Division for many years!

The third was at the AGM. The AVA is a constantly evolving organisation, and unfortunately our constitution as it currently stands is a bit outdated. So, there are several changes that are needed. The first were some procedural matters to bring the constitution into the digital age, and the rest are about modernising the association to future-proof it for our evolving profession. The Veterinary profession in 20 years will not be the same as it was 20 years ago, and the AVA needs to reflect this with its leadership and structure. Keep an eye out for those discussions later in the year and take your chance to have a say about the future of our association.

Now, for another chance to have your say. The NSW parliament is undertaking an inquiry into the veterinary workforce shortage in NSW. This inquiry is a response to AVA advocacy on the issue direct to parliamentarians and supported by the well-publicised shortages of veterinarians across the state.

The Terms of Reference include specific mention to veterinarians in regional and rural areas, burnout of veterinarians, and strategies to support veterinarians currently in practice in NSW. There are many more which can be referenced here. To help inform the AVA submissions to the inquiry, we want to hear from as many AVA members as possible. Please be in touch and submit your thoughts directly to Liz Gemes, the NSW Senior Advocacy Officer, at liz.gemes@ava.com.au.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Alistair Webb for taking on the role of AVA President. Alistair has been involved in the AVA through branches, divisions, and Special Interest Groups – experience that is going to be invaluable for leading the AVA in the next 12 months. Dr Bronwyn Orr, our immediate past president, has done a fantastic job advocating for veterinarians nationally and I’d like to thank her for her work.