Working Party for Regulation of Veterinary Nurses and Technicians

The AVA National Advocacy Manager, Graham Pratt, was part of the inaugural meeting for the Regulation of Veterinary Nurses & Technicians Working Party (RVNT WP) late last month. 

The AVA supports changes to the existing legislative framework to extend regulation to veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians in Australia. A nation-wide shift towards increased regulation and title protection for veterinary nurses and technicians will benefit veterinarians by providing a skills boost to help ease the workforce shortage and increase workforce sustainability. This will improve veterinary practice efficiencies and uplift animal welfare standards across the board.  

Currently, Western Australia is the only Australian state or territory that has a formalised process for title recognition, registration and maintenance of credentials for veterinary nurses.  

Graham Pratt reaffirmed the AVA’s commitment, saying “The AVA is very supportive of the move towards recognition of the whole veterinary team through improved regulation. It’s great that such a diverse group of expertise has come together for the Working Party.” 

The meeting brought together working party members appointed with diverse skill sets in regulation/law, advocacy, education, stakeholder engagement, and experience from academic, private, and public veterinary practice. The working party is supported by an Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) staff member and legal interns from Monash University. 

The primary focus of the meeting was to review and discuss the Strategic Plan developed by a stakeholder group in December 2023. A number of key recommendations and priority areas were developed which will guide the profession’s path towards statutory regulation. 

Working Party from left to right:

Susan Keane, Patricia Clarke, Gary Fitzgerald, Sue Godkin, Jane Bindloss, Jennifer Hamlin, Graham Pratt. Not present: Georgia Hammond and Jasmine Pengelly.