Conditions of AVA Membership

1 Application of the Members Professional Code of Conduct

This Member Professional Code of Conduct (Code of Conduct) applies to all categories of membership of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), including veterinarians, allied professionals and student members, as those terms are defined in the AVA’s Constitution.

All members, regardless of professional background, registration status or place of residence, are required to comply with this Code of Conduct as a condition of AVA membership.

2 Purpose

(a) The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to provide a framework for applying the core values, principles and standards of the Australian Veterinary Association and to guide members in their conduct with animals, clients, colleagues, the community and their participation in AVA. Exemplary professional conduct upholds the dignity and the public trust vested in the veterinary profession and the reputation and integrity of the AVA.
(b) While the State Veterinary Boards regulate the minimum professional standards expected of veterinarians, AVA members hold themselves to a higher standard of personal and professional integrity including when engaging with the Association and its members.
(c) By becoming a member of the AVA, individuals are agreeing to abide by the AVA’s Code of Conduct.
(d) This Code of Conduct does not attempt to list every possible issue that may arise for AVA members. It sets out clear requirements for the conduct of AVA members and expectations of respectful, transparent and collegial behaviour.

3 Values Statement

(a) Professionalism: We behave ethically, with integrity and aim for the highest possible standards in everything that we do.
(b) Knowledge: We base our decisions on evidence and actively seek out advances in knowledge.
(c) Community: People are our greatest resource, and we facilitate interactions to share knowledge, contribute to scientific developments and support our broader community.
(d) Adaptability: We embrace change and innovation, seek new ideas, identify trends and strive to adapt quickly.
(e) Respect and care: We engage with others thoughtfully and in good faith, particularly when views differ. We act with consideration in our words and actions, and contribute to a culture of trust, safety and collegiality.

4 Member Conduct

Each Member must:
(a) act in the AVA’s best interests;
(b) act with a high degree of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect in all interactions with the general public, other members, AVA staff, directors, volunteers and contractors;
(c) uphold and promote the AVA’s reputation, fostering trust in its governance, processes or people through their conduct;
(d) hold as a key concern, the health, welfare and respectful treatment of animals;
(e) for veterinarian members, ensure veterinary recommendations and decisions consider the health and welfare of the animal(s), the safety of the public, biosecurity, the needs of the client and the need to uphold the public trust vested in the veterinary profession;
(f) proactively manage conflicts of interest by taking steps to identify and avoid or declare and manage any real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest;
(g) maintain their professional knowledge and competence;
(h) maintain, as appropriate, the confidentiality of any confidential information of AVA;
(i) at all times comply with all applicable laws, regulations, standards, guidelines and state veterinary board codes of conduct that apply to them having regard to their professional role, qualifications, registration status and jurisdiction;2, 3, 4
(j) attend to their own health and wellbeing in order to provide care of the highest standard and encourage colleagues to do the same;
(k) use social media and AVA digital communication channels in a professional manner consistent with this Code of Conduct to ensure respectful behaviour and maintenance of the public’s trust and confidence in the profession;
(l) take personal responsibility for upholding the good reputation and integrity of the veterinary profession and the AVA by promoting and not publicly contradicting AVA values, policies and guidelines;4,5
(m) ensure communication in all forms with and about professional colleagues, AVA members, AVA staff, AVA directors, volunteers and members of the public is respectful and professional;
(n) use reasonable endeavours to protect the assets and resources of AVA and to ensure their efficient use for legitimate AVA purposes; and
(o) fully co-operate with any investigation by AVA Board into any breach of this Code of Conduct.

5 Member Relationship with veterinary colleagues, AVA employees, directors, volunteers, members and contractors

(a) Members must treat people including AVA’s employees, directors, volunteers, members and contractors fairly, with dignity, courtesy and respect, objectively, and free from bullying, harassment or other inappropriate behaviour.
(b) Subject to this Code of Conduct, members should cooperate fully with other members, assisting them in the provision of veterinary care. They must not publicly criticise other members in a way that risks bringing the profession into disrepute. They should encourage and help other members to develop their professional skills.

6 Compliance with AVA Policies and Guidelines

All members must act lawfully and ethically, and within the scope of their qualifications, role and legal authority.

Members must not misrepresent their professional status, veterinary registration, qualifications or authority, nor engage in conduct that could reasonably be interpreted as the unlawful provision of veterinary services.
All members must comply with this Code of Conduct and abide by AVA policies and guidelines having regard to their respective roles.

7 Unprofessional Conduct

Veterinarians

(a) State and Territory Veterinary Boards regulate veterinary professional conduct. This includes matters relating to clinical practice, professional competence, registration, scope of practice and compliance with veterinary legislation. If a member becomes aware of, or are concerned by alleged unprofessional conduct by a veterinarian member, the appropriate steps are to:

• 1. Wherever appropriate and possible, address any concerns first with the relevant individual.
• 2. If the alleged breach of the Code of Conduct relates to a violation of the state’s Veterinary Practice Act or other legislative obligation, including State Veterinary Board Codes of Conduct, then the complainant should report the complaint to the State Veterinary Board or other relevant legislative authority. The complaint process varies by state legislative authority, and individuals are encouraged to contact the appropriate legislative authority for the complaint procedure.

All members

(b) For the purposes of this Code of Conduct, unprofessional conduct includes any conduct by any AVA member occurring in connection with AVA activities, governance, communications, forums, events or platforms, that is inconsistent with the values and standards set out in this Code of Conduct.

(c) This includes, but is not limited to:

1. bullying, harassment or other disrespectful behaviour;
2. conduct that undermines respectful, transparent or constructive debate;
3. misuse of AVA communication platforms;
4. breach of confidentiality;
5. misrepresentation of professional status, registration, qualifications or authority;
6. misuse of position, authority or access to information;
7. failure to act in good faith in AVA processes;
8. dishonesty, fraud or financial misconduct; conduct that brings the Association into disrepute; or
9. conduct that is unlawful or inconsistent with applicable legislation, professional obligations or AVA policies.

Where concerns relate to alleged unlawful conduct or regulatory breaches, AVA may refer the matter to the appropriate external authority while also considering whether the conduct constitutes a breach of this Code of Conduct.

(d) Members of the AVA may lodge formal complaints regarding other members breaching the Code of Conduct as outlined in clauses 18 and 19 of the AVA Constitution.

8 AVA Procedures for handling breaches of the AVA Members Code of Professional Conduct

(a) If a member fails to adhere to the standards in this Code of Conduct, the member will be subject to dispute resolution and disciplinary procedures as set out in clauses 18 and 19 of the of AVA’s Constitution. Examples of breaches of the Code of Conduct which can lead to disciplinary action against a member include, but are not limited to:

1. breach of AVA policies, procedures and guidelines notified to members;
2. failing to abide by AVA technical / veterinary policies;
3. breach of confidentiality and/or privacy;
4. conduct that constitutes professional misconduct;
5.  failing to act in AVA’s best interests;
6. using position or authority outside its limits, or obtaining an improper advantage or causing a detriment through the inappropriate use of that authority or delegation;
7. misrepresenting their position or authority outside its limits;
8. bullying, harassment or other inappropriate behaviour towards another AVA member, employee, volunteer or contractor; and
9. defaming AVA or any of its members or otherwise bringing it into disrepute.

9 Revision

This Code of Conduct is based on AVA’s interpretation of the professional conduct standards that the public and the profession expect all AVA members to meet. It may need to be reviewed in consideration of any changes to these expectations or any significant issues arising from its implementation. Unless required earlier, a review will take place every three years.

Last reviewed April 2026

You agree to

• Support the purposes of the Australian Veterinary Association
• Comply with the AVA Constitution
• Comply with the Member Professional Code of Conduct 

Membership may cease if you

• Fail to pay the required subscription fee within one month of it becoming due
• Resign in writing to the company secretary
• Are expelled following the disciplinary procedures in the Constitution
• Are no longer eligible for your membership category

Transfer

Membership and associated rights cannot be transferred or sold.

Disputes

Disputes and disciplinary matters are governed by clauses 18 and 19 of the AVA Constitution.

Allied Professional membership is open to veterinary professionals working alongside the profession across practice, industry, research, education and support roles – such as veterinary nurses, technologists, practice managers, researchers,  and vets not eligible for Australian registration- who meet the eligibility criteria set out in clause 10.2(b) of the AVA Constitution.

The AVA Constitution defines an Allied Professional as a person who:

• holds a qualification in veterinary science that does not meet the conditions for registration as a veterinarian in Australia;
• is approved by the directors (including after nomination by the person seeking membership, a member, a division, special interest group or approved other group) to be an allied professional by reason of their professional attainments or close association with the veterinary profession; or
• has been accorded the status of honorary member having been an eminent non-veterinarian who rendered service to the association or the veterinary profession in general.  

• they do not have access to veterinarian-only clinical tools and programs intended for veterinarians – e.g. BULLCHECK, PREGCHECK, EVA apps
• they are not eligible to vote;
• and appointment to office requires verification from an authorised person, unless serving as an independent director.

Allied Professionals joining under a group package

Where Allied Professionals are joining as part of a group or practice package, the veterinarian or AVA member who is the responsible person for that package takes on specific obligations by completing the group sign-up. They are confirming that each Allied Professional in their team has the required ties to the veterinary profession and meets the eligibility criteria for this membership category. They also accept ongoing responsibility for notifying AVA if an Allied Professional leaves their employment or their association with the practice ends, so that eligibility can be reviewed and membership updated accordingly.

Verification

By selecting this membership category, you are confirming that you, or each Allied Professional in your team, meet the eligibility criteria above. By ticking the conditions of membership declaration at checkout and proceeding with payment, you are making a formal declaration that you agree to uphold the AVA Member Professional Code of Conduct and all other conditions of AVA membership, including the obligation not to misrepresent professional qualifications, standing or association with the veterinary profession.

Ongoing compliance and audit

The status of each Allied Professional and their ties to the veterinary profession will be audited by AVA management under delegated authority from the Board to ensure ongoing eligibility under the Constitution. As part of this process, individuals or the responsible person under a group package may be asked to provide evidence of eligibility, including verification from an authorised person of ties to the profession. You acknowledge that membership may be reviewed or withdrawn at any time if an Allied Professional no longer meets the criteria.

Misrepresentation

The AVA Member Professional Code of Conduct expressly prohibits misrepresentation of professional status, qualifications, registration or standing. Any misrepresentation of eligibility for Allied Professional membership, whether by an individual member or a responsible person acting on behalf of a group, constitutes a breach of the Code and may result in disciplinary action under clauses 18 and 19 of the AVA Constitution.

(1) Introduction
These terms of use govern your use of our website; by using our website, you accept these terms of use in full. If you disagree with these terms of use or any part of these terms of use, you must not use our website.

(2) Licence to use website
Unless otherwise stated, we or our licensors own the intellectual property rights in the website and material on the website. Subject to the licence below, all these intellectual property rights are reserved.

You may view, download for caching purposes only, and print pages or OTHER CONTENT from the website for your own personal use, subject to the restrictions set out below and elsewhere in these terms of use.

You must not without written permission from the Australian Veterinary Association:

(a) republish material from this website (including republication on another website);

(b) sell, rent or sub-license material from the website;

(c) show any material from the website in public;

(d) reproduce, duplicate, copy or otherwise exploit material on our website for a commercial purpose;

(e) edit or otherwise modify any material on the website; or

(f) redistribute material from this website [except for content specifically and expressly made available for redistribution (such as our newsletter).

(3) Acceptable use
You must not use our website in any way that causes, or may cause, damage to the website or impairment of the availability or accessibility of the website; or in any way which is unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful, or in connection with any unlawful, illegal, fraudulent or harmful purpose or activity.

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(4) Restricted access
Access to certain areas of our website is restricted. We reserve the right to restrict access to other areas of our website, or indeed our whole website, at our discretion.

If we provide you with a user ID and password to enable you to access restricted areas of our website or other content or services, you must ensure that that user ID and password is kept confidential.

We may disable your user ID and password in our sole discretion without notice or explanation.

(5) User-generated content
In these terms of use, “your user content” means material (including without limitation text, images, audio material, video material and audio-visual material) that you submit to our website, for whatever purpose.

You grant to us a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate and distribute your user content in any existing or future media. You also grant to us the right to sub-license these rights, and the right to bring an action for infringement of these rights.

Your user content must not be illegal or unlawful, must not infringe any third party’s legal rights, and must not be capable of giving rise to legal action whether against you or us or a third party (in each case under any applicable law).

You must not submit any user content to the website that is or has ever been the subject of any threatened or actual legal proceedings or other similar complaints.

We reserve the right to edit or remove any material submitted to our website, or stored on our servers, or hosted or published upon our website.

Notwithstanding our rights under these terms of use in relation to user content, we do not undertake to monitor the submission of such content to, or the publication of such content on, our website.

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Whilst we endeavour to ensure that the information on this website is correct, we do not warrant its completeness or accuracy; nor do we commit to ensuring that the website remains available or that the material on the website is kept up-to-date.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law we exclude all representations, warranties and conditions relating to this website and the use of this website (including, without limitation, any warranties implied by law of satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose and/or the use of reasonable care and skill).

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(8) Indemnity
You hereby indemnify us and undertake to keep us indemnified against any losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation legal expenses and any amounts paid by us to a third party in settlement of a claim or dispute on the advice of our legal advisers) incurred or suffered by us arising out of any breach by you of any provision of these terms of use, or arising out of any claim that you have breached any provision of these terms of use.

(9) Breaches of these terms of use
Without prejudice to our other rights under these terms of use, if you breach these terms of use in any way, we may take such action as we deem appropriate to deal with the breach, including suspending your access to the website, prohibiting you from accessing the website, blocking computers using your IP address from accessing the website, contacting your internet service provider to request that they block your access to the website and/or bringing court proceedings against you.

(10) Variation
We may revise these terms of use from time-to-time. Revised terms of use will apply to the use of our website from the date of the publication of the revised terms of use on our website. Please check this page regularly to ensure you are familiar with the current version.

(11) Assignment
We may transfer, sub-contract or otherwise deal with our rights and/or obligations under these terms of use without notifying you or obtaining your consent.

You may not transfer, sub-contract or otherwise deal with your rights and/or obligations under these terms of use.

(12) Severability
If a provision of these terms of use is determined by any court or other competent authority to be unlawful and/or unenforceable, the other provisions will continue in effect. If any unlawful and/or unenforceable provision would be lawful or enforceable if part of it were deleted, that part will be deemed to be deleted, and the rest of the provision will continue in effect.

(13) Exclusion of third party rights
These terms of use are for the benefit of you and us and are not intended to benefit any third party or be enforceable by any third party. The exercise of our and your rights in relation to these terms of use is not subject to the consent of any third party.

(14) Entire agreement
These terms of use constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your use of our website and supersede all previous agreements in respect of your use of this website.

(15) Law and jurisdiction
These terms of use will be governed by and construed in accordance with Australian law, and any disputes relating to these terms of use will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Australia.

Our online community on the Circle platform exists to connect AVA members, share veterinary knowledge and support one another in a respectful and confidential environment. These guidelines help keep our spaces safe, valuable and professional while still fostering collegiality. They sit alongside the AVA Member Professional Code of Conduct, which sets the broader standards of professional behaviour all members uphold as part of their AVA membership.

1. Confidentiality

• Treat all posts as confidential and for internal community use only
• Do not forward, copy or share content outside the community without the author’s explicit permission. This includes sharing screenshots of specific posts.
• Misuse of confidential information may result in serious consequences, including removal from the community or association

2. Respectful engagement

• Members are encouraged to have robust yet open-minded discussion and to debate ideas, not individuals
• Harassment, intimidation, abuse, personal attacks, embarrassment, explicit language or content will not be tolerated.
• Ensure your tone is professional, constructive and inclusive
• Enjoy learning from the collective experience and wisdom of your peers. This is a valuable member benefit and tool for professional growth

3. Participation and access

• Only current AVA members may participate. Access to spaces is based on membership category (Veterinarian, Allied Professional, Student) and Special Interest Groups (SIGs), Divisions, Branches, or program affiliation (e.g. Mentoring program)

4. Staying on topic

• Post in the correct space for your topic. For example, a post relevant to all AVA members should be posted in the Member Lounge. Whereas a Special Interest Group (SIG) specific post should be posted in the space relevant to that SIG.
• Avoid duplicate posts across multiple spaces
• Use clear and descriptive titles for your posts, to ensure they are easy to find later

5. Responsible use of content

• Posts reflect the personal opinions of members and may be anecdotal or evidence-based.
• Use advice at your own discretion and apply professional judgement
• Where relevant and appropriate, evidence-based posts can be supported by references. Use of any information and advice from posts should be at members’ discretion and professional judgement. The post context, date and limitations should be considered.

6. Promotions and permissions

• Approval from AVA staff (members@ava.com.au) must be sought prior to posting content relating to non-AVA events, jobs or organisation. This is to ensure the content remains appropriate for members and any conflicts of interest can be managed.
• SIG Executive Committees and the Student Group may also establish a standing list of pre-approved non-AVA content that does not require individual approval – for example, student university events.

7. Private messaging

• Use of private messages between members should be minimised and only used when necessary e.g. for confidentiality reasons.
• Respect boundaries and avoid unsolicited requests for advice.
• Limit private messages to individuals unless there is a clear need, especially when contacting subject matter experts.

8. Breaches and consequences

• All members are expected to follow these guidelines and the AVA Member Code of Conduct when participating in the circle online community.
• Minor to moderate breaches will result in an informal reminder of the guidelines, followed by a formal warning which may escalate to a temporary suspension or permanent removal from the online community if ongoing breaches occur.
• More serious breaches will be referred through AVA’s formal processes.

9. Need help or suspect a breach?

• If you come across content that you feel breaches our community guidelines, click on the three dots to report it. A moderator will review it and take appropriate action.
• You can also contact members@ava.com.au at any time for questions, help and support using the Circle online community.

Last updated June 2026 as part of circle online community platform rollout to all members

The Australian Veterinary Association Ltd (AVA) supports good privacy practice and aims to manage personal information in an open and transparent way. This policy sets out how the AVA aims to comply with the Privacy Act 1998 (Act) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APP’s) which came into force on 12 March 2014. View AVA Privacy Policy.

The AVA takes photos of their events, by attending you give permission to use images taken at the event, as well as any written comments on our evaluation forms in advertising and promoting the AVA.