The AVA has repeated its call to the Federal Government to remove the HECS debts of veterinary graduates who live and work in rural and regional Australia.
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) is also lobbying for discounted fees, loan offsets and HECS relief for graduates and veterinary students who live regionally, as recommended in their 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit.
The recommendations from the summit aim to influence reform in the sector and help agriculture to be “embraced as a modern, professionalised workplace and employer of choice.”
AVA President Bronwyn Orr said the tight job climate in the regions is causing difficulties for vets, and changes are required to create sustainability in the profession.
“Vets play a critically important role in ensuring that commercial farms and their livestock remain healthy,” she said.
“But not enough veterinary graduates are moving to the regions to fill these important roles, putting increasing pressure on the agricultural industry…a central pillar to Australia’s economy.
“In order to boost the attraction of working in the regions, we are calling on the Albanese Government to wipe the HECS debt for all graduates willing to live and work in the regions and use their skills to support agriculture.”
NFF President Fiona Simson said the federation’s Jobs and Skills Summit provides an opportunity to address labour shortages impeding Australia’s farm sector.
“Even before the pandemic, farmers were reducing planting or shifting to less labour-intensive produce,” she said.
“Recent weather has thrown curveballs at food production. Couple that with issues like the workforce crisis, and the results are devastating.
“Governments can’t control the weather, but they can ease the workforce crisis.”
The skills shortage has plagued the veterinary industry for years. In 2021, the AVA conducted a Workforce Survey which revealed that 31 per cent of practices advertising for vets were taking 12 months or longer to fill vacancies.
SAM WORRAD