February Council meeting

27 March 2024

The Veterinary Council of New Zealand held its quarterly meeting at the end of February. Below is a summary of some of the topics that were discussed. 

The Council received updates on key pieces of work, including the review of the Veterinarians Act which has nearly been completed. Other projects discussed included the Vet Council’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategy and emergency care requirements (including emergency after hours), which are both progressing well. The next phase for the Emergency/After Hours project will be delivering the project report. We will have more information to share about both of these workstreams in coming weeks. 

The Council also met with the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) Board Chair Grant Guilford and CEO Kevin Bryant to discuss their strategy for the year and upcoming collaborations.

Other discussion points during the meeting included reviewing the draft purpose statement for the Vet Council to ensure it clearly describes the Council’s role. A resolution was also passed to add a register of interests to the Board section of the Vet Council website for increased transparency and to avoid any potential perceptions of conflicts of interest. 

Vet Council staff provided several updates featuring a recent meeting with the new Minister for Biosecurity and Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard; the Professional Standards Committee’s work on the Code of Welfare; and work with the communications team on guidance for animal owners. 

The next Council meeting will be held in May, and we will include an update from this in our June pānui.