NEWS AND VIEWS
NATIONAL OFFICE UPDATE The NZVA represented the membership in the following ways this past month. » Supporting regional network meetings. » The veterinary team presented drafts of new policies and positions to the standards committee and outlined the new framework for that process. » The NZVA attended the Farm to Processor Animal Welfare Forum, a biannual primary sector meeting to discuss animal welfare issues including drought, disruptions resulting from COVID-19 and future options for carcass disposal. » The NZVA Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) provided veterinary advice to the Visionary Vet Group Meeting (Pāmu). » The NZVA CVO and other stakeholders, including practising veterinarians, reviewed the animal welfare section of the VCNZ Code of Professional Conduct. » The NZVA CVO attended the Companion Animal New Zealand board meeting, where primary concerns were urban animal management and companion animal welfare. » The NZVA is a support agency in the national emergency response, and as part of this the NZVA CVO attended the animal welfare subfunction meeting. » The NZVA, VCNZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Massey University met to share information as part of the Monthly Veterinary Leaders Meeting. » The NZVA attended the Greyhound Racing New Zealand Animal Welfare Committee meeting – the NZVA CVO sits on the committee, addressing key issues in the Hansen Report. » The NZVA veterinary team attended the Companion Animal Veterinarians special interest branch Executive Committee meeting, where they are working to support companion animal veterinarians and their practice. » The NZVA attended several Winter Grazing Action Group meetings. The group is working on farm system maps and meeting short-term industry expectations in all wintering systems.
VETERINARY SCHOLARSHIP HELPS STUDENT GO FURTHER MASSEY UNIVERSITY VETERINARY science student Kate Poole has been awarded a $2,500 scholarship from Agcarm. Growing up on a sheep and beef farm in Tararua in southern Hawke’s Bay, Kate developed a passion for farm life. The 20-year-old wants to use her veterinary degree to evolve the country’s farming systems and better understand diseases in small animals. “I see myself working in a mixed practice environment with a whole lot of production animals around me,” she says. Kate says she will use her scholarship to pay for the travel costs associated with clinical placements. “This means I’ll have the freedom to choose placement clinics based on my interests.” Agcarm offers two scholarships a year (one in the field of veterinary science and one in horticulture) to support education and to raise awareness of careers in agriculture-related industries. n
» The NZVA CVO attended several antimicrobial resistance meetings with regulators and the industry to discuss the issue.
VetScript
» The NZVA CVO attended the Animal Welfare Practice Group meeting, engaging with MPI, SPCA and Crown solicitors on key points of law to set common expectations on a variety of issues and protect the profession’s interests.
Deadlines for October 2020 issue
» The NZVA CVO sits on the National Adverse Events Committee, a cross-disciplinary government group that addresses current adverse events and ensures wraparound support for affected parties. » The NZVA CVO is the local Otago representative for the Otago Rural Advisory Group. She met with them to discuss general business. n
8 – VetScript August 2020
EDITORIAL COPY 20 August DISPLAY AND CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 1 September LATE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 20 September Contact the editor at: vetscript@vets.org.nz
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