National veterinary registration is now recognised in Victoria and Tasmania.

Veterinary surgeons (including specialists) who currently hold primary registration and reside permanently in another Australian State or Territory are entitled to practise as a veterinary surgeon in Tasmania (since 16 Dec 2012) and Victoria (since 1 Jan 2011), on a part-time/casual/locum basis without having to register with the Veterinary Board in the respective states.

Each state and territory in Australia has separate legislation covering veterinary practise which is regulated under the relevant state or territory Veterinary Registration Board (VSB).

Why is there a move towards national registration? The answers are sourced from http://www.daff.gov.au/animal-plant-health/animal/system/vets

Separate regulatory systems in each state and territory hinder the mobility of veterinarians within Australia, hinder interstate competitiveness, and inconvenience clients with interstate or national interests as well as those requiring particular veterinary expertise only available outside their own state or territory.

There is now ready movement of Australians and animals from state to state. Public policy has embraced the concepts of open markets, competition policy and mutual recognition by state and territory systems of qualifications and operations by other states and territories.

National recognition of veterinary registration has assumed increasing importance in the last decade with the growing need to remove obstacles to the delivery of cross-border veterinary services. In addition, one of the objectives of National Competition Policy is to allow greater competition within the veterinary services market. As production animal enterprises consolidate or specialise and performance animals travel to compete nationally, reforms which enable the integrated delivery of veterinary services on an Australia wide basis are vital to the profession meeting existing and future market demand for veterinary services.

Current arrangements no longer provide the most appropriate and efficient mechanism for regulation of modern veterinary practice, and do not accommodate ongoing technological advances and changes within the profession.

What does this mean for you? Well, this means that difficult to find expertise such as fish veterinarians can now be more readily accessible. Under the current regulations, Dr Loh’s services are not just available in WA, but also in Victoria and Tasmania. So, if you’d like to fly Dr Loh across the continent, it’s very possible.