Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians

3 March 2011

Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians

The New Zealand Veterinary Association welcomes the announcement that all 30 places in the Government’s Voluntary Bonding Scheme are filled for the second year in succession.

“This initiative is clearly beginning to alleviate the critical shortage of veterinarians in areas of the country that are more remote and difficult to staff,” says NZVA President, Richard Wild.

The scheme is focussed on supporting rural veterinary practices that provide essential services for farmers with production animals; such as dairy, sheep and beef farms.

“BERL research in 2009 showed quite graphically that the average age of a rural veterinarian was rising markedly.

“There were also very real concerns that as rural vets retire and practices merge that there will be increasing areas in New Zealand with little or no veterinary coverage. Through the bonding scheme we are able to attract and retain younger veterinarians into rural areas,” Richard Wild said.

Now that a reasonable and growing number of younger people, largely new graduates, are working in rural practice, the next issue to address will be those veterinarians re-entering production animal practice after returning to New Zealand from their OE.

This needs consideration, along with the availability and regulation of veterinary technicians to work alongside vets.

“With just two years under our belts, the scheme has been a great success and we are grateful to Minister David Carter for his support in pushing through this initiative,” Richard Wild said.

This year celebrates 250 years of veterinary practice and the role of veterinarians in society.

New Zealand is heavily reliant on agriculture and the health of our economy is dependent on the good health and welfare of our livestock. Therefore the role of the rural veterinarian is absolutely critical to the health of our agricultural sector and the scheme in turn helps maintain a healthy rural veterinary capability.

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