Vets to be fast-tracked into Australia as puppy boom and border closures bite

Overseas veterinarians will get special exemptions to enter Australia to address an acute shortage of vets which has been exacerbated by COVID-19, but the industry is warning more reforms are needed to address its bigger problems.

Australian Veterinary Association president Warwick Vale says at least 800 more vets are urgently needed across Australia to fill a shortfall that has been made worse by the pandemic puppy boom and dearth of skilled migrants.

Veterinarian Dr Angela Pantangco, examines Border Collie ‘Harper’ at the Sydney University Veterinary Hospital.Credit: James Alcock

On Saturday Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirmed vets will be placed on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List, allowing them to apply for an exemption to enter Australia.

Only 18 occupations are on the list, including psychiatrists, chief executives, software engineers, social workers, GPs and several types of nurses. Applicants must be sponsored by an employer. Other “critical skills and sectors” eligible for exemptions to the border closure include people “providing critical skills in religious or theology fields”.

Dr Vale welcomed the addition of vets to the PMSOL, but said it was a “short-term measure to get over a crisis” and deeper problems remained.

“The solution is from within in many ways,” he said. “The profession has to change its workplace culture.”

The veterinary industry has been plagued by attrition for years, blamed on poor pay, burnout, a mismatch between expectations and reality as well as the depressing nature of aspects of the job. Unnecessary euthanasia is common when clients cannot afford the procedures required to save a pet’s life or improve its quality of life.

Vets, Dr Corinne James (foreground) and Dr Angela Pantangco.Credit: James Alcock

Up to 1200 vets attended a virtual forum hosted by the AVA on Thursday night to discuss the way forward. Dr Vale said the industry wanted subsidies such as HECS debt forgiveness for vets to live and work in rural areas, the removal of GST from vet bills and rebates on pet insurance.

Dr Vale said the pandemic had boosted demand for veterinarian services by 20 to 30 per cent, with many people choosing to buy or adopt a pet during lockdown. In a February submission to a parliamentary inquiry on skilled migration, the AVA said some animal shelters reported a 45 per cent increase in dog adoptions.

“When you couple that with a very acute shortage in the workforce you end up with a huge problem,” Dr Vale said.

“It’s been a long-standing problem in country and regional areas but since the COVID pressure it has really come to the cities in a big way. We’ve got vets that are leaving the workforce in droves.”

Mark Lawrie, head of Sydney University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, said the pandemic had also precipitated a shortage of veterinary nurses for the first time. “Normally we get a lot of backpacker nurses from the UK and Ireland and they’re very well-trained over there,” he said.

Melanie Latter, the AVA’s head of policy and advocacy, noted in a March presentation there were many vets in countries including the UK, US and South Africa who would be able to immediately register to practise in Australia.

“They can hit the ground running and assist to fill some of those vacancies that have been sitting open for a long period of time,” she said.

The number of vacancies can vary depending on when new graduates become available. In March the AVA and the head of Vetlink Employment Services, Dr Mark Eagleton, told the parliamentary inquiry into skilled migration there about 1500 unfilled positions across the country.

Mr Hawke said he was taking feedback and advice from a range of sectors and would soon make more announcements about temporary visa flexibility measures and priority skills.

Start your day informed

Our Morning Edition newsletter is a curated guide to the most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Get it delivered to your inbox.