New Vet Services legislation in SA

04 Dec 2023
Last week, on the final day of sitting for the year, the SA Parliament passed the Veterinary Services Bill.
 
This is the most significant milestone in the review of the legislation that began in 2020. The AVA is delighted to see the Parliament pass this Act and thanks the Minister Hon. Clare Scriven MLC, Hon. Nicola Centofanti MLC (Shadow Minister) and Hon. Frank Pangallo MLC for the work they have done with us on amendments to the Bill.
 
We also thank the Veterinary Surgeons Board of SA for discussing the amendments with us. Their perspective on the operational impacts on them was an important consideration in the AVA SA Committee's final decisions on which amendments to support.
 
Once implemented, it will see a number of key changes, including:
 
  • A requirement that the Presiding Member of the Board be a veterinarian rather than a legal practitioner, along with the adjustment of the Board to be a skills-based board representing the diversity of the profession.
  • Increased transparency of administrative processes (including complaints handling).
  • A new function of the Board to provide information and advice to vets on relevant legislation, codes, standards, and guidelines
  • A new function of the Board to work with other vet boards to promote uniformity and consistency in the regulation of veterinarians in Australia.
  • A requirement for all veterinary premises to be registered.
  • Removal of the current requirement for veterinarians to self-notify the Board when claims for damages or other compensation are made against them.
The next steps are for the Government to develop the regulations that will sit under the new Act. We hope that this will see the new legislation come into effect in late 2024. We expect that there will be consultation on the regulations as they are prepared and AVA looks forward to engaging in this.