Victorian Government Silver Review

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) was not consulted prior to last week’s public announcement of the Victorian Government's intention to merge the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria (VPRBV) into a new Business and Professions Regulator as part of the recommendations in the Silver Review.

The AVA has serious concerns in relation to this intention and is liaising with the VPRBV.

Veterinary regulation is highly specialised, underpinning animal health, welfare, biosecurity, and public safety. Merging VPRBV into a broader authority risks undermining the integrity and effectiveness of this bespoke regulatory framework. The VPRBV is self-funded, cost-recovery based, and collaborates nationally to ensure consistent standards and efficiency. Disrupting these arrangements could introduce unnecessary complexity and disadvantage the profession.

We urge the Government to engage meaningfully with stakeholders before progressing any reform and request clarity on the rationale and impacts of this proposal. The AVA has expressed these concerns in a formal letter to the Premier and Minister for Agriculture, and we welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss options that preserve robust veterinary regulation in Victoria.