Attendance: Julia Crawford, Ted Irwin, Geoff Tomkins, Steven ...

- Throughout the past year the division has been building on the firm base that
has been built over the previous years and has been proactive in supporting
the NSW membership.
- NSW Division has now built up vital relationships with politicians, government
departments, universities, other committees and other parts of the AVA to take
on a more proactive lobbying stance to support the AVA policies and positions
and benefit its members, the community and animals in generals.
- The Division has found that government and other agencies are proactively
approaching the AVA for input. There are systems in place to identify relevant
issues and firmly deliver the AVA’s position.
- Julia Crawford has been sitting on the Government’s Companion Animal
Taskforce review panel that have provided a number of reports to the Minister,
reviewing companion animal legislation and dangerous dogs.
- NSW Division has established biannual meetings with the Department of
Primary Industries and substantially improved two-way communication.
- NSW Division is proactively monitoring the LHPA/CMA merger into LLA’s,
attending meetings and reinforcing the need for biosecurity and disease
surveillance.
- Considerable time and effort has also been spent lobbying for the use of power
tools in equine dentistry to become a restricted act of veterinary science.
- Division representatives sit on many outside committee’s including
Universities, VPB, Game Council, NIAG, Poisons Advisory and Kangaroo
Management committees.
- NSW Division has 17 branches that are now the most active that they have
been in recent memory. Several years ago the division employed Tara
Cashman as the Branch Liaison Officer to support the tremendous work of the
volunteer branch executives.
- This year the division is introducing the annual Ron Hyne Award in memory of
the late Ron Hyne. The award is to be given to a member for support of the
AVA and the local community.
- Congrats to the Sailing Day Committee (Geoff Scarlett, Vera Pickering,
Pauline Clydsdale and Tony Waugh) on an increasingly popular event!
- Matthew Cox and Andrew Herron have likewise done an excellent job reestablishing
the AVA Annual Golf Day.
- Thank you must go out to Provet & Hill’s as platinum sponsors of the NSW
Division.
- During 2012 Leanne Peebles provided valuable insight into Industry during her
time with the committee, sadly having to leave due to moving over to the
Human Pharmaceutical side of Boehringer. Tim White has also resigned from
the committee after moving to Melbourne.
- Steve has now taken on the role of NSW Policy Advisory for the Policy
Advisory Committee.
- NSW Division has a number of new initiatives planned for the year ahead
looking to grow membership but equally important to support its current
members.
- NSW will be following up a successful trial with a more extensive “AVA Rep
on the Road” program, getting out to practices, engaging with members and