Dubbo farmer Shane Kilby says more needs to be done to tackle rural vet shortage

Shane Kilby, a cattle producer from Dubbo, said an ongoing shortage of vets in NSW has hit farmers especially hard.

"A relationship with your vet is very important for your farming business - whether it's for ongoing herd health assessments or for emergencies," she told the Daily Liberal.

"Sadly we're seeing a decline in the number of large animal vets across the state and while those that are around do their best to fit you in, we can't let the numbers continue to slip."

Only eight per cent of the 4,000 vets in NSW work in regions and remotely. While the number of registered vets has increased by three per cent on average each year, they were overwhelmingly moving into small animal practice.

Long working hours, more remote locations and tougher conditions in the field are some of the reasons for this, Ms Kilby suggests.

"Large animal practice is something people really have to have a passion for - it can be dirty, it can be cold, it can be miserable, it can be after hours and in an isolated location," she said.

"There are aspects to it that not everybody would be attracted to."

Next week, Ms Kilby - who represents the NSW Farmers Dubbo Branch - will bring forward a motion to the annual NSW Farmers conference calling on the government to introduce measures to get more large animal vets into western NSW.

Some of their suggestions include ongoing tax incentives for vets to work in rural areas and more training places targeting large animal vets.

"If we could get the same sort of HECS forgiveness for vets that teachers, doctors and nurses can access, we might get more vets into western NSW," Mrs Kilby said.

"We would also like to see increased migration of skilled vets to plug the gaps in the short term, and really do more to train more vets for the future, maybe by reviewing the selection criteria for entry into veterinary science."

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has also called on the government to consider forgiving debt for rural vets.

"Despite the important role of vets in animal agricultural industries, workforce shortages could see access to veterinary services in regional and rural areas collapse," AVA CEO Dr David Andrews said.

"Government's bank on the $70 billion contribution of the agricultural sector to the Australian economy but it's an industry which has been left exposed by chronic under investment in the veterinary workforce.

"In 2023 alone, veterinary practices have closed in Parkes and Wee Waa in NSW... leaving major farming towns without access to veterinary services."

In May 2022, the only veterinary clinic in Parkes closed its doors with vet Daryl Elphick explaining it was impossible to keep it going when he couldn't recruit and retain full time staff.

Ms Kilby hopes other NSW Farmers branches will back the motion.

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