AVA Submission on the Draft SA Veterinary Services Bill

The AVA is pleased to comment on the draft Veterinary Services Bill 2022 and thanks the Minister and the Department of Primary Industries South Australia (PIRSA) for undertaking it.

Legislation relating to the veterinary profession differs across the states and territories in Australia and it should be an aspiration of all Australian veterinary boards to work towards harmonisation of legislation - similar to the human health professions that introduced legislation in 2010 to allow national regulation of their professions.

The AVA strongly supports proposed amendments to the Act that:

• Require the presiding member be a veterinarian
• Increase transparency of the Board, including publication of appointments
• Clarifies that, “variety of fees for registration can be set and may be applied in a pro-rata manner.”
• Enables the Board to register veterinarians with adjusted conditions and adjusted fees to accommodate non-practicing veterinarians (whether retired, on parental leave, or otherwise)

The AVA is pleased to see many of the issues that we raised in our submission to the 2020 review of the Veterinary Practice Act (many of which were supported by the broad range of respondents to that consultation) have been adopted in this legislation.

To read the submisison, please click here.