Have Your Say: WA Veterinary Practice Amendment Regulations

The draft WA Veterinary Practice (VP) Amendment Regulations have been released for consultation.  

The Veterinary Practice Act 2021 (VPA) and first tranche of the Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022 (VP Regulations) came into effect on 18 June 2022. 

The first tranche of the VP Regulations contains essential provisions to support the operation of the VPA and did not significantly change the day-to-day practice of veterinarians and others providing those services in Western Australia.

The draft VP Amendment Regulations have been developed through consultation with stakeholders and the Veterinary Practice Board of WA (Board). During 2022, DPIRD undertook two consultation processes seeking feedback from stakeholders on key provisions of the VP Amendment Regulations:

The first consultation sought feedback on proposed acts of veterinary medicine and the regulatory options for pregnancy testing and spaying of cattle.

The second consultation sought feedback on a range of key provisions of the regulations including but not limited to:

• acts of veterinary medicine
• acts of veterinary medicine that can be undertaken by authorised persons
• veterinary students and veterinary nurse students
• proposed acts that are not acts of veterinary medicine
• level of supervision requirements and record-keeping and prescribing and
• the sale and supply of veterinary chemicals.

The VP Amendment Regulations consultation report provides further detail on these consultation processes and outcomes.

The AVA will be providing a submission and invite members to be involved. 

Further details on the Veterinary Practice Amendment Regulations consultation can be found here on the DPIRD website. 

Relevant documents for your review include: 

• the consultation draft: Veterinary Practice Amendment Regulations
• the consultation report
• the policy considerations paper to see how previous feedback has been addressed

 To assist your input please consider the following information: 

AVA Policies, including: 

• Licensing of veterinarians  (2023)
• Regulation of animal health service providers  (2018)
• Restricted acts of veterinary science  (2017)
• The diagnosis and treatment of animals by non-veterinarians  (2008)
• Veterinary nursing  (2020)
• Telemedicine practice  (2020)
• Cattle spaying  (2022)
• Equine dentistry  (2008)
• Recommended key principles for veterinary practice acts in Australia

Relevant AVA Submissions: 

• AVA Submission on the WA acts of veterinary medicine – March 2022
• WA Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022 - tranche 2 consultation - AVA submission.pdf 

Other resources: 

• Veterinary Practice Act 2021
• Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022
• Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022 - tranche 2 consultation
• Consultation on acts of veterinary medicine in WA
• WA Animal Welfare Act 2022
• WA Dog Act 1976
• WA Cat Act 2011

How to be involved: 

You can be involved by contributing to the AVA submission to represent the views of the profession. 

Please send your feedback to publicvetaffairs@ava.com.au by Tuesday 28 Jan 2025. 

Or, by placing an individual submission to DPIRD by Monday 24 February 2025.