VETERINARY WORKFORCE DATA TASKFORCE

To help address current and future challenges—such as veterinarian shortages, imbalances in skill and geographical distribution, and competency gaps—a dedicated Taskforce has been established to explore and make recommendations for a simple, future-proof solution to capture national veterinary workforce data.

Independently chaired by former Inspector-General of Biosecurity—Dr Helen Scott-Orr AM PSM—the Taskforce has been meeting monthly since February 2025 and intends to operate for 12 months. 

At their first meeting the Taskforce agreed that a national data solution would meet the needs of multiple organisations; back-up anecdotal workforce concerns with concrete data; and provide a strong evidence base for advocating critical changes in the profession. It would provide a platform to identify future workforce gaps and inform necessary interventions; and lay the groundwork for a national veterinary workforce strategy. 

Taskforce activities to date have concentrated on developing a tangible workplan and establishing a data dictionary. The data dictionary collates data fields captured by existing systems and will help determine a minimum viable product that could be expanded over time to provide a comprehensive workforce picture. 

In May the Taskforce welcomed independent contractor Dr Bronwyn Orr to support the delivery of Taskforce activities. Dr Orr enthusiastically advocated on behalf of the veterinary profession during her tenure as President of the Australian Veterinary Association, and in 2023 was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to evaluate programs designed to attract, recruit and retain veterinary professionals internationally. This resulted in the publication of the Veterinary Workforce White Paper summarising her findings. 

Stakeholder mapping and consultation is currently underway and will be completed by the end of June. 

Australia’s legislative landscape, which varies across Commonwealth, state, and territory levels, has been noted as a key challenge and the Taskforce is committed to developing a proposal for an inclusive national solution that considers these complexities. The protection of personal information is also a critical priority. 

The focus for the Taskforce is solely veterinarians (that is, it does not for example include veterinary nurses or students), and a clear definition of the veterinary workforce will be agreed upon to ensure clarity. Implementing a national data solution is out of scope for the Taskforce but will be considered in the next steps. 

This initiative is an important step towards strengthening the veterinary profession, and ensuring Australia’s veterinarian workforce is prepared to meet future challenges with robust data and informed strategies. 

The Taskforce Membership includes representatives from the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council; Australian Veterinary Association; Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development; Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria; Veterinary Schools of Australia and New Zealand; and Veterinary Surgeons Board of Queensland. 

For further information, please contact vet.workforce@aff.gov.au.