The ACV Executive has been busy over the past month across a number of areas, with plenty happening behind the scenes as we continue to advocate for our members and progress a range of initiatives.
Like many of you, we are watching nervously as Australia responds to the ongoing H5 avian influenza outbreak. At the time of writing, there have been 27 confirmed cases across Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales. Throughout this response, AVA Advocacy has been working hard in the background, not only advocating for measures to address the ongoing veterinary workforce shortage, but also working closely with the Federal Government to strengthen Australia’s biosecurity arrangements. These issues are critical to our profession and our livestock industries. Dr Matt Peterson has written an excellent report elsewhere in this newsletter, and I encourage all members to take the time to read it.
On the BULLCHECK front, I’m pleased to report that the new BULLCHECK app is now essentially complete. We expect it to be available to members through the App Store in the coming weeks. This marks a significant milestone after a great deal of work from many people involved in the project.
As with any new software, this is Version 1. While we’re very pleased with how it performs, but the real value will come from feedback from the people who use it every day. I encourage all accredited members to download the app, put it through its paces and provide honest feedback on its usability and functionality. Your comments will allow us to continue refining the app and developing it into an even more polished and valuable tool for the profession. We’ll provide more info on this soon.
Staying with BULLCHECK, our next BULLCHECK Accreditation Workshop will be held in Charters Towers on August 8/9. If you’re a veterinarian aspiring to become BULLCHECK accredited, I encourage you to register. Registrations are still open, and we’d love to see you there.
Our Education Subcommittee continues to put in an enormous amount of work planning next year’s ACV Conference in Hobart, to be held in March. Planning is progressing well, and members can expect to see more conference details released as we move towards the end of the year. The committee is also working on a series of webinars to provide members with additional continuing education opportunities throughout the year.
Finally, I’d like to remind members that a number of AVA policies are currently open for member comment via Circle. I strongly encourage you to take the time to read through these draft policies and provide feedback where appropriate. These policies help shape the direction of the AVA and often form the foundation for future legislation and advocacy positions. As cattle veterinarians and production animal practitioners, it’s important that our collective voice is heard. One of the most effective ways we can influence the future of our profession is by contributing thoughtful member feedback during these consultation periods.
Thank you to everyone who continues to work behind the scenes to support and grow the Australian Cattle Veterinarians. The strength of our special interest group comes from the time and effort contributed by volunteers, committee members and staff, and your work is greatly appreciated.
As always, if there are issues where you feel the ACV can help or advocate on your behalf, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the Executive or to me directly.
Brendan Brieffies
0427341080