AVA calls on Government to wipe HECS debt for regional vets

The AVA has been hard at work lobbying the Federal Government to wipe the HECS debts of veterinary graduates living and working in rural and remote areas. 

AVA President Dr Bronwyn Orr said workforce shortages in rural and regional areas are causing great stress on the profession, and support is urgently needed for a sustainable veterinary presence in the regions. 

The skills shortage has plagued the veterinary industry for years. In 2021, the AVA conducted a Workforce Survey which revealed that 31 per cent of practices advertising for vets were taking 12 months or longer to fill vacancies. 

“Vets play a critically important role in ensuring that commercial farms and their livestock remain healthy,” Dr Orr said. “In order to boost the attraction of working in the regions, we are calling on the Albanese Government to wipe the HECS debt for all graduates willing to live and work in the regions and use their skills to support agriculture.” 

The call comes off the back of the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) also calling on the Federal Government to offer discounted course fees, loan offsets and HECS relief for veterinary students and graduates who live in the regions as part of their recommendations to the Jobs and Skills Summit. 

More information on the need to future-proof the veterinary profession can be found here.