5.

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

6.

Motion 3 - “That the AVA Executive be reminded that know- ingly or recklessly disseminating false or misleading dietary information to primary school children via the AVA Pet PEP program is detrimental to the health of pet animals, the commu- nity and the AVA”.

A procedural motion ‘That the motion be not now put” was moved by Dr J Plant and seconded by Dr G Reed. This motion was carried and as a result the original motion did not proceed.

Motion 4 - ‘That the Policy Council proceed without delay to formulate a strategy to be put to governments for a national campaign for the progressive eradication of feral pigs”.

Moved Dr J Auty, seconded Dr T St George.

An amendment was moved by Dr R Clarke and seconded by Dr K Picken removing the words “without delay”. This amend- ment was accepted by the original proposer and the amended motion was carried.

Any Other Business Dr Banyard announced that other items of business may be raised from the floor for discussion and recommendations made for the guidance of Executive andor Policy Council.

Max Henry Memorial Library The meeting discussed the outcome of recent negotiations with the NSW Department of Agriculture regarding the future of the Max Henry Memorial Library.

Motions Committee It was moved by Dr J Plant and seconded by Dr I Denney that “as proposed at the Gold Coast AGM, a Motions Committee of non-executive members be established to assist members in the formulation of motions for the AGMs of this Association”. This motion was carried.

Tail Docking It was moved by Dr R Wansborough and seconded by Dr J Auty that “this meeting resolves to recommend to Policy Council that cosmetic tail docking of dogs be made an unethical procedure”. This motion was carried.

Hilmer Report

The meeting discussed the impact of the Hilmer Report on the operations of the Veterinary Surgeons’ Boards.

Induction of New President

Dr Banyard inducted Dr Pam Scanlon as President of the AVA for 1995/1996. He noted that Dr Jakob Malmo was standing down from the Executive Committee after many years of service to the AVA.

Dr Scanlon thanked Dr Banyard for his work as President and briefly outlined her key priorities during her term as President.

The formal business of the meeting was closed at 10.15 am.

Dennis R Eagar Chief Executive Officer

1995 Annual General Meeting President’s Report

Introduction It is my pleasant duty to report on your Association’s progress for

the year and to outline some foreseeable developments.

Achievements Commercial Projects and Member Benefits

This year has seen substantially enhanced activity in securing additional benefits for members. This is a trend which will eventually ensure that, for most members, membership of the Association will be at no net cost. The recently announced AVA Call Saver plan, the Commonwealth Bank agreement, the Visa Card and the BP Fuel Card Discount are now in place to generate these savings for mem- bers. Careful selection and bulk buying should ensure that these arrangements are better than the “mass discounts” generally avail- able. Other negotiations are in progress. It is hoped this list of commercial member benefits will be extended in 1996.

The Association moved earlier in the year to terminate the Major Sponsors’ Program. This program, while successfully returning the Association substantial funds and enhancing our contact with some major companies, had a finite commercial life. It has been replaced by the AVA Supporters’ Scheme. This is more broadly based and provides for three different levels of participation thus not excluding smaller companies or individuals. It is conceptually not unlike the program operating within the Post Graduate Foundation of Veterinary Science of the University of Sydney. Current estimates suggest that it will maintain and possibly enhance the sponsorship income of the Association.

Guild Insurance requires a special mention. While the AVA has always been most careful to avoid endorsement of commercial products, we have moved very cautiously to a close commercial relationship with Guild Insurance. Thus far, this has proved very satisfactory, both financially to both parties and more importantly to members, who have been most supportive of the professional insur- ance advice and competitive insurance products provided by Guild. Early discussions with Guild foreshadowed some equity link between the insurer and the AVA. Current trends give confidence that this arrangement may be mutually beneficial.

Continuing Education and Public Relations The Association has made excellent progress in this area. The Pet

PEP program has now been rewritten with the help of the National Curriculum Corporation to conform to the national primary school science framework. This will ensure that the program is acceptable in the foreseeable future and will streamline production. The pro- gram in its new form was launched in Queensiand in February and launches in NSW andTasmania are foreshadowed later this year. By the end of this year Pet PEP should be available to all primary school children in Australia with the exception of Northern Territory. We are hopeful that Northern Territory will follow in 1996. The project has been enormous and introduction of the program represents only the first step. Implementation and teacher support is the next stage and will be ongoing.

Conferences and continuing education remain an important focus of the Association’s work within which we must include all confer- ence activity - that of the SICS and Divisions as well as the role of the AVA National. The Canberra Conference was the first full test of our internal AVA Conference Organising Services (AVACOS). The results were impressive and the finalisation of financial results rapid.

The subsequent National Urban Animal Management conference also in Canberra was equally successful. The AVA, in conjunction with our partners in local governments and the welfare agencies, now has an established role in Urban Animal Management.

Australian Veterinary Journal Vol. 72, No. 11, November 1995 435

Challenges The future holds many challenges for us as professionals not least

because of our small size and our fmgmented nature -both gwgraphi- d y and professionally. Of these challenges the one which has the greatest potential for dismption, even if only because of the uncertainty of its direction, is the recently agreed implementation of the Common- wealth Government’s National Competition Policy (the Hilmer Report). It is foreshadowed that all professions will be deregulated by the year 2000 with responsibility being transferred to the professional associa- tions. The Association has already recognised the implications of this and has moved to align itself more closely with the Australian Council of Professions which is coordinating a response from the professions. The AVA is forming a working group involving all Divisions and National to integrate our response.

The Max Henry Memorial Library and world trends in information technology also provide a challenge to the Association. The strong feeling is that the Association should maintain an accessible, efficient and affordable library service. At this point in time library services are moving from hard copy to electronic information access. We must review our needs and consider solutions for this problem, not with an eye to the past but with an eye to the future. Hopefully the next 2-5 years will see this situation clarified.

Liaison with government and semi-government bodies is becoming increasingiy sophisticated. In this regard, purely to have a policy position, as we have on most issues in our excellent Policy Compen- dium, is totally inadequate. In the last year AVA National has had discussions at a high level with the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy on the need for and functions of a National Animal Health Council and on the Commonwealth’s rofe in Animal Welfare and prepared submissions to the Senate inquiries into the CSIRO and AQIS. Submissions of this nature are highly complex and unless our documents are well prepared and our advocates well briefed our professional credibility could suffer. The real and costly challenge is in developing suitable and close relationships with the key people developing policy in both Commonwealth and State government. The frequent turnover of our honorary office holders makes this task more difficult.

Change within the Association Your Policy Council considered a paper on Restructuring of the

Association. The need for this arises from the changing need for legal accountability within the Association and acknowledgment of the important role the SlGs play within the Association. The restructured board provides a place for the major SIGs and enhanced repre- sentation from the general membership. An extraordinary general meeting will be held in due course to vote on these matters.

One interesting point to arise from this restructuring is the “living and dynamic” nature of your Association. This is due to the time and energy many members devote to the Association to bring about con- structive change from within the organisation. Given the Association is a highly democratic body, those who wish to contribute to the Associa- tion, in whatever way they feel able, have ample opportunity to do so.

Closing Remarks The Association has been well served this year by all its honorary

officers and paid staff. 1 would like to mention specially the Divi- sional and SIG Presidents who, in the larger bodies, have an onerous job and the National Executive. Also, many members would not know, as I did not, the pressures which fall on the CEO. Both Philip Greenwood and now Dennis Eagar are to be commended for their dedication and commitment to the Association.

In closing I would like to thank you for the opportunity to serve as President for this past year. While the job has been demanding, the rewards far outweigh that commitment and I would encourage all members, and younger members in particular, to become involved in your Association, not only for the Association’s sake but for your own.

Awards of the Australian VeterinaryAssociation,

Gilruth Prize The Gilruth Prize was established in 1953 to commemorate the

m e of Dr JA Gilruth, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Melbourne, the first Chief of the Division ofAnimal Health of the CSIR, administrator of the Northern Territory and an outstanding veterinary authority. The Prize is awarded for meritori- BUS service to veterinary science in Australia. It is the highest ranking award of the AVA.

Professor Mike Rex OA (deceased) graduated from University of Cambridge (UK) and gained his PhD from Massey University (NZ) in 1969. He was admitted as a Foundation Member of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in 1971 and was made a Fellow of the College (Anaesthetics) in 1977.

His distinguished university career in Australasia commenced in Sydney as Lecturer in Veterinary Surgery (1961-64), followed by the appointments of Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Biology and Surgery at Massey (1964-69) and Senior Lecturer and Reader in Veterinary Surgery, University of Melbourne (1970-74). Professor Rex moved to Queensland in 1974 and was appointed Dean of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland in 1983.

Professor Rex served on both the NSW and Queensland Division Committees and was a member of Policy Council 1976-80 and ASAVA President 1982-84.

In recognition of his contribution to veterinary science, Professor Rex is posthumously awarded the Gilruth Prize.

Kesteven Medal The Kesteven Medal is awarded by a Committee comprising rep-

resentatives of the AVA, the Australian College of Veterinary Scien- tists and an independent member who is a previous recipient. The Medal is awarded to Australian veterinarians in recognition of distinguished contributions to international veterinary science in the fieFeldr of technical and scientific assistance to developing countries. The award was inaugurated by the late Dr KVL Kesteven andfirst awarded in 1980. The Medal ispresentedalternately by the AVA and the ACVSc.

Dr John Copland graduated from Sydney University in 1963 and gained his PhD in 1968. Dr Copland’s overseas work began in 1968 as Senior Veterinary Pathologist with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries based in Papua New Guinea. In 1983 he was appointed Foundation Research Program Co-ordinator for the Animal Sciences and Fisheries Program, Australian Centre for International Agricul- tural Research (ACIAR) and has managed livestock and fisheries programs in the Asia Pacific region and Africa for the past twelve years.

Dr Copland has served as External Lecturer and Examiner in fish health and management at the Universiti Pertanian, Malaysia.

Dr Copland’s contribution to international veterinary science in developing countries has shown his worthiness as a recipient of the Kesteven Medal.

436 Australian Veterinary Journal Vol. 72, No. 11, November 1995