Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has doubled down on its call for the Federal Government to wipe the HECS debts of veterinary graduates who live and work in rural and remote areas.
The call comes off the back of the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) also calling on the Federal Government to offer discounted course fees, loan offsets and HECS relief for veterinary students and graduates who live in the regions as part of their recommendations to the Jobs and Skills Summit.
AVA President Dr Bronwyn Orr said the tightening jobs market in rural and regional areas is causing great stress on the profession, and support is urgently needed for a sustainable veterinary presence in the regions.
"Vets play a critically important role in ensuring that commercial farms and their livestock remain healthy," Dr Orr said.
"But not enough veterinary graduates are moving to the regions to fill these important roles, putting increasing pressure on the agricultural industry – a central pillar to Australia's economy."
"In order to boost the attraction of working in the regions, we are calling on the Albanese Government to wipe the HECS debt for all graduates willing to live and work in the regions and use their skills to support agriculture."
NFF President Fiona Simson said the much-anticipated Jobs and Skills Summit provides an opportunity to address one of the root issues stunting Australia's farm sector: chronic labour shortages.
"Even before the pandemic, farmers were reducing planting or shifting to less labour-intensive produce," Ms Simson said.
"Recent weather has thrown curveballs at food production. Couple that with issues like the workforce crisis, and the results are devastating.
"Governments can't control the weather, but they can ease the workforce crisis."
The skills shortage has plagued the veterinary industry for years. In 2021, the AVA conducted a Workforce Survey which revealed that 31 per cent of practices advertising for vets were taking 12 months or longer to fill vacancies.
