Updating the Veterinarians Act

 

In 2023 and 2024, the Vet Council undertook a review of the Veterinarians Act to ensure that it remains fit for purpose. A lot has change since the Act was passed almost 20 years ago and we want to make sure that it enables us to do our work effectively now and in the future.

Issues we considered include how allied veterinary professionals (such as vet nurses, technologists and technicians) as well as veterinary businesses could be registered, as veterinarians are. Additionally, advancements in technology such as telehealth have changed the way veterinary care is provided, and it is important that legislation and regulation keeps pace with this.

We received a huge response from the profession, including allied professionals, that demonstrated a strong support for updating the Veterinarians Act to make sure it remains fit for purpose. You can read about the issues and proposed solutions in the Case for Change or you can see a brief summary in the Summary of Responses. 

Click here for summary

How you can help support change

One way of supporting the proposed changes is to contact your local MP and/or the Ministers responsible for Agriculture. You can use the documents on this page to help identify reasons for law change that are important to you. Contact details for the current MPs and how to address people in Parliament when you correspond with them are available on NZ Parliament website.  Here are some tips for writing an effective message:

  • Keep your letter or email short – maximum 250 words
  • Make your most important point in the very first sentence.
  • Include the personal touch – how does this relate to you and your experience?
  • Identify yourself as a constituent by including your address when you write to your local MP.
  • Start by stating the issue and what you want done about it. For example "I am writing to urge your support for..."
  • Focus on two or three main points that support your view. Use examples as evidence and flesh them out.
  • Conclude by requesting a specific action such as:
    • writing a response back to you
    • organising a meeting with you
    • taking concrete action on the issue i.e. talking with someone, raising the issue with their party, voting to support a bill etc.
  • Use your own words. An original letter sent by one single person is more effective than a form letter (or cut and pasted texts) sent by dozens of people.