Business View Oceania - May 2024

and welfare, legislation, and biosecurity) education (professional development and learning), community support (social and professional networking), and the development of a sustainable future for the industry. Members enjoy exclusive access to thousands of online resources via the VetSuccess hub, member library, and HR Advisory Services. The association also provides AVATelephone Counselling to support the mental health and wellbeing of member vets, their staff, and family. Dr.Warwick Vale, President of the AVA, introduces the association. “The AVA evolved from a small group of veterinarians working to bring the profession together as a collective unit that could tackle industry challenges as they arose. We now represent more than 8,500 members as a national organisation from our head office in Sydney, supported by volunteer- run divisions for each state and territory across the country.” The AVA facilitates member connections through over 20 special interest groups: Acupuncture, Animal Welfare & Ethics, Behaviour, Business, Cattle, Conservation Biology, Dental, Education, Research & Academia, Equine, Greyhound, Industry, Integrative, Pig, Poultry, Public Health, Reproduction, Sheep, Camelid & Goat, Small Animal, Student, and Unusual Pet & Avian. Dr. Vale shares, “Our special interest groups bring together industry experts in a variety of fields to further things like research and development, vet education, and public awareness on related issues. They also help us as an association form our policies and initiate our advocacy agendas across the industry. We have a pretty collegial membership base, so it’s a great opportunity to put our heads together. These groups all have their own committees and electoral processes, as do our state divisions, so it’s our job as the peak body to bring them all together, provide administrative support and professional development opportunities, and make all the resources they may need available to them. Probably our biggest role, however, is enabling dialogue between our members and our government, policymakers, etcetera, to help bring attention to and solve various industry issues.” The AVA communicates with their members via the Australian Veterinary Journal, published quarterly 51 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 06, ISSUE 05 AUSTRAL IAN VETERINARY ASSOCIAT ION (AVA)