AGY-546 | Board of Veterinary Surgeons of New South Wales (1924-2004) / Veterinary Practitioners Board of New South Wales (2004-)

Full description

The Board was originally established by the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1923 (Act No.25, 1923), which commenced on 1 January 1924. Its main function was to regulate the practice of veterinary science in New South Wales through assessing applicants for registration as veterinary surgeons, and by maintaining a register of current practitioners. (1) The first meeting was held on 5 February 1924. (2)

The Veterinary Surgeons Amendment Act, 1974 (Act No.6, 1974) provided for the licensing of veterinary hospitals, the appointment of an Investigating Committee responsible for the investigation of complaints against veterinary surgeons and a Disciplinary Tribunal to hear those complaints referred to it by the Investigating Committee. The Board was reconstituted to consist of five members on 24 January 1975. (3)

In 1986 the Veterinary Surgeons Act was passed (Act No.55, 1986, assented to on 15 May 1986). (4) This Act repealed the earlier legislation, and reconstituted the Board and associated bodies (the Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee and the Veterinary Surgeons Disciplinary Tribunal). The Board as constituted under the 1986 Act consisted of six members appointed by the Governor. Three members were selected from a panel of no fewer than seven registered veterinary surgeons nominated by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Veterinary Association, two were registered veterinary surgeons nominated by the Minister and one veterinary surgeon was nominated by the Minister from a panel of not less than three members of the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the University of Sydney nominated by the Senate of the University.(5) The Board was responsible for the registration of veterinary surgeons practising in New South Wales; the licensing of veterinary premises; and for the regulation of conduct and standards of practice by veterinary surgeons (including advertising by veterinary surgeons). (6)

The Board was again reconstituted, as a statutory corporation, under the Veterinary Practice Act, 2003 (Act No.87, 2003), assented to on 5 December 2003). It was renamed the Veterinary Practitioners Board, and consists of 8 members; with four representing various aspects of veterinary work (specialists, urban practitioners, rural practitioners and academics), two practitioners selected by the Minister, and two non-practitioners representing consumers of veterinary services. (7)

The object of the 2003 Act was to regulate the provision of veterinary services:
(a) to promote the welfare of animals,
(b) to ensure that consumers of veterinary services are well informed as to the competencies required of veterinary practitioners,
(c) to ensure that acceptable standards are required to be met by veterinary practitioners so as to meet the public interest and national and international trade requirements,
(d) to provide public health protection. (8)

The main functions of the Board were to register Veterinary Practitioners and Veterinary Specialists, to license Veterinary Hospitals, and to investigate complaints about the practice of Veterinary Science in NSW. (9)

The Board's specific functions were set out in greater detail in the Act:
(a) to register veterinary practitioners and licence veterinary hospitals,
(b) to investigate complaints against veterinary practitioners,
(c) to take disciplinary action against veterinary practitioners,
(d) to enforce the provisions of this Act and the regulations, including to take proceedings for offences against this Act or the regulations,
(e) to develop codes of professional conduct for veterinary practitioners,
(f) to co-operate with other jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand to further a common and harmonious approach to the administration of legislation relating to veterinary practitioners,
(g) to provide information to the veterinary profession relating to continuing education issues, developments in the field of veterinary science and disciplinary matters,
(h) to provide general advice to consumers of veterinary services with respect to the ethics and standards of professional competence that are generally expected of veterinary practitioners,
(i) to provide advice to the Minister with respect to any other matter in connection with the administration of this Act,
(j) to promote, provide for or facilitate the professional development of veterinary practitioners,
(k) to provide, if practicable, scholarships for veterinary study,
(l) to liaise with and, if considered by the Board to be appropriate, to become a member of, professional organisations concerned with veterinary science. (10)

The commencement of the Act was phased in over a two-year period, with a small number of sections commencing on 1 March 2004 and 9 May 2005, and the greater part of the Act coming into force on 1 September 2006. (11)

Endnotes
1. Veterinary Surgeons Act No.25, 1923.
2. NRS 671, Minutes of meetings of the Board.
3. NSW Government Gazette No.17, 17 January 1975, p.166.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.88, 30 May 1986, p.2492.
5. Veterinary Surgeons Act, No.55, 1986, s.5.
6. Annual Report of the Board of Veterinary Surgeons year ended 30 June 1989, p.1.
7. Veterinary Practice Act, 2003 (Act No. 87, 2003), s.76, 77.
8. Ibid, s.3.
9. Veterinary Practitioners Board website http://www.vpb.nsw.gov.au/) cited 29 July 2008.
10. Veterinary Practice Act, 2003, s.79(2).
11. NSW Government Gazette, 27 February 2004, p.825, 6 May 2005, p.1601 and 1 September 2006, p.7064.