Three Strategic Priorities
The Australian Veterinary Association’s (AVA) strategic priority program is a way for the association to work systematically over the long term to achieve change on the issues members care about most.
The three strategic priorities for 2018 - 2021 were developed through a member consultation project in the early months of 2018, and were approved by the Board in April 2018. They sought to articulate the largest and most pressing concerns for the Australian veterinary profession.
This program of work has allowed the AVA to achieve some important goals. These include:
- Publishing Australia’s first ever systematic analysis of the veterinary workforce, and projecting future supply and demand
- Understanding of the role of veterinary undergraduate education and other policy settings that affect the future supply of veterinarians
- Seeking and achieving changes in pet insurance to increase its attractiveness to clients and veterinarians
- Supporting veterinarians in responsibly promoting pet insurance and other payment options
- Undertaking exploratory research into the demand drivers for production animal veterinary services
- Providing informed input into the review of the Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award 2010
- Finalising national arrangements for engaging private veterinary practitioners in an emergency animal disease outbreak and ensuring private contractors are covered by insurance
- Advocating for better resourcing of government veterinary services in animal health and welfare
- Working towards harmonisation of veterinary practice legislation across the country
- Protecting and strengthening the legal framework around restricted acts of veterinary science in all states and territories
- Participating in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy to address the threat of antimicrobial resistance
- Promoting greater understanding of responsible antibiotic prescribing among veterinarians, and providing resources to increase judicious veterinary use
- Developing a campaign in conjunction with RSPCA Australia known as "Love is Blind" to raise awareness of the health and welfare problems associated with exaggerated features in certain dog breed standards
The AVA has engaged in member consultation in response to increasing calls from members and prospective members to advocate more effectively on animal welfare issues.
From 2018 - 2021 our three strategic priorities are: