Veterinarians and anyone with veterinary science qualifications are invited to participate in the 2026 AVA Workforce Survey. This is the 8th Workforce Survey the AVA has conducted since launching them in 2012 and it is being undertaken to assist with gathering the data needed for effective workforce planning.
In the recent Parliamentary Inquiries into the veterinary shortage, the AVA has highlighted the need for improved data and planning on the veterinary workforce.
We are currently in our 9th year of shortage and the strong growth in demand for veterinary services we’ve seen over last few years is making the situation more challenging. The long training time for new veterinarians, means the market does not respond quickly to changes in demand.
Data from previous Workforce Surveys is used extensively by the AVA in our policy and advocacy work. In recent years, this work has been gaining traction, but we need to continue to push for the support the sector needs. Part of this is ensuring that we keep updating our data on the workforce and that’s where you come in. The survey is voluntary, but ideally, we need every veterinarian (whether you are working as a vet or not) who permanently resides in Australia, with a degree registerable in Australia to complete it so the data is as rigorous as possible.
The survey is anonymous and much of the data gathered is not collected anywhere else – meaning it fills a critical gap in our understanding of the veterinary workforce.
The link below takes you to the survey and the plain language statement, which explains the survey in more depth and provides ethics approval and contact details for more information.
Please share this on to all your colleagues and encourage them to also take the survey. By taking the time to complete this survey, you are helping ensure the survey results paint a holistic picture of the veterinary workforce and the challenges it’s facing.
Who can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?
This project has human research ethics approval from Murdoch University (Approval 2026/177). If you have any reservation or complaint about the ethical conduct of this research, and wish to talk with an independent person, you may contact Murdoch University’s Research Ethics & Integrity on Tel. 08 9360 6677 (+61 8 9360 6677 for overseas studies) or e-mail human.ethics@murdoch.edu.au. Any issues you raise will be treated in confidence and investigated fully, and you will be informed of the outcome.
A copy of the information sheet for this research can be obtained by this link.
If you have any questions for the research team in relation to the survey please contact graham.pratt@ava.com.au
