Part 7 Veterinary Practitioners Board
There is constituted by this Act a body corporate with the corporate name of the “Veterinary Practitioners Board”.
(1) The Board is to consist of 8 members appointed by the Governor.(2) Of the members of the Board:(a) 4 are to be veterinary practitioners selected by the Minister to represent each of the following:(i) specialist veterinary practitioners,(ii) veterinary practitioners practising in urban areas,(iii) veterinary practitioners practising in rural areas,(iv) academics in the field of veterinary science,(b) 2 are to be veterinary practitioners selected by the Minister,(c) 2 are to be persons who are not veterinary practitioners and are selected by the Minister to represent consumers of veterinary services.(3) The Minister is to select:(a) the members that are to represent the veterinary practitioners referred to in subsection (2) (a) (i), (ii) and (iii) from panels prepared by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Veterinary Association, and(b) the member that is to represent academics referred to in subsection (2) (a) (iv) from a panel prepared jointly by the University of Sydney and Charles Sturt University.(4) The Minister may give directions with respect to the way in which panels under subsection (3) are to be prepared and the calling for nominations for all or any of the members of the Board.(5) Schedule 2 has effect with respect to the members and procedure of the Board.
The Board is to elect one of its members who is a veterinary practitioner to be President of the Board.
(1) The Board has the functions conferred or imposed on it by or under this or any other Act.(2) In particular, the Board has the following functions:(a) to register veterinary practitioners and licence veterinary hospitals,(b) to investigate complaints against veterinary practitioners,(c) to take disciplinary action against veterinary practitioners,(d) to enforce the provisions of this Act and the regulations, including to take proceedings for offences against this Act or the regulations,(e) to develop codes of professional conduct for veterinary practitioners,(f) to co-operate with other jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand to further a common and harmonious approach to the administration of legislation relating to veterinary practitioners,(g) to provide information to the veterinary profession relating to continuing education issues, developments in the field of veterinary science and disciplinary matters,(h) to provide general advice to consumers of veterinary services with respect to the ethics and standards of professional competence that are generally expected of veterinary practitioners,(i) to provide advice to the Minister with respect to any other matter in connection with the administration of this Act,(j) to promote, provide for or facilitate the professional development of veterinary practitioners, including by determining the requirements for continuing professional development of veterinary practitioners,(k) to provide, if practicable, scholarships for veterinary study,(l) to liaise with and, if considered by the Board to be appropriate, to become a member of, professional organisations concerned with veterinary science.
(1) The Board may employ a Registrar and such other staff as may be necessary to enable the Board to exercise its functions. Chapter 2 of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002 does not apply to or in respect of any such staff.(2) The Board may fix the salary, wages and conditions of employment of its staff in so far as they are not fixed by or under any Act or law.(3) The Board may arrange for the use of the services of any contractor.(4) For the purposes of this Act, a person who is employed under subsection (1), or whose services are made use of under subsection (3), is an officer of the Board.
(1) The Board may establish committees to assist it in connection with the exercise of any of its functions.(2) It does not matter that any or all of the members of a committee are not members of the Board.(3) A member of a committee, while sitting on the committee, is entitled to be paid by the Board such amount as the Board from time to time determines in respect of the member, and is approved by the Minister.(4) The procedure for the calling of meetings of a committee and for the conduct of business at those meetings may be determined by the Board or (subject to any determination of the Board) by the committee.
(1) The Board may delegate any of its functions (other than this power of delegation) to:(a) a member of the Board, or(b) a committee of the Board, or(c) the Registrar or any other member of staff of the Board.(2) The Board must not delegate any of its functions under Part 5 (Complaints and disciplinary proceedings) to the Registrar or any other member of the staff of the Board other than the investigation of a complaint or a function relating to the investigation of a complaint.(3) The Registrar may delegate to a member of the staff of the Board the exercise of:(a) any of the functions of the Registrar under this Act, other than this power of delegation, or(b) any functions delegated to the Registrar by the Board, unless the Board otherwise provides in its instrument of delegation to the Registrar.(4) This section has effect subject to the provisions of section 49.