About the Board

The Veterinary Surgeons Board of Queensland (the Board) is a statutory authority established by the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1936 representing the State of Queensland and being part of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation for the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977.  It has the sole legislative responsibility for the regulation of veterinary science in Queensland.

The statute acts in the public interest as a means to ensure domestic and international consumer protection and animal welfare, in the delivery of veterinary services.

This is achieved by ensuring that the providers of veterinary services are suitably qualified and by the registration of qualified persons to practise veterinary science.

The Board is responsible for the registration of veterinarians and veterinary specialists and administers the disciplinary provisions of the Act in respect of professional misconduct by registrants and the performance of prohibited practices by non-registered persons.

Control over the standard of veterinary premises is also the responsibility of the Board.

The effective regulation of legislation controlling the supply and use of prescription drugs (Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996) and the maintenance of animal welfare standards (Animal Care and Protection Act 2001) is reliant on the Veterinary Surgeons Act to ensure that all persons accessing restricted substances and treating animals are suitably qualified and registered to do so.

Membership

The Board consists of a chairperson, two (2) elected members and three (3) other persons nominated by the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries.  Five (5) members of the Board are required to be veterinarians.  All members, other than the chairperson, are appointed for a term of not more than three years.  The nominated member who is not a veterinarian is appointed to represent consumers on the Board.

The current Board representation is:

• Chair — Senior Veterinary Officer, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
  To be appointed
  
• Deputy Chair — Nominee of Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
  Professor Jonathan Robert Hill BVSc MACVSc DACVT PhD
  Head of School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland
  
• Elected Members —
  Dr David Lovell BVSc MACVSc (Equine Practitioner)
  Dr Victor Menrath BVSc FACVSc (Specialist in Veterinary Medicine – Cats)
  
• Nominees of Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries —
  Dr Maurine Thomson BVSc FACVSc (Specialist in Veterinary Surgery – Small Animal Surgery and Surgical Oncology)
  Glenda Whitmore (Consumer Representative – Non Veterinarian)
  

Officers

The Board is administered by a Registrar and one other officer.  Both officers are non-veterinarian employees of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation.