South Australian Current Acts

VETERINARY SERVICES ACT 2023 - SECT 28

28—Registration on general or specialist register

        (1)         The Board may, on an application made in accordance with this Act, grant primary registration to the applicant if the Board is satisfied that the applicant is eligible for such registration.

        (2)         Subject to this Act—

            (a)         general registration under this Act authorises the person to provide veterinary services; and

            (b)         specialist registration under this Act authorises the person to provide veterinary services in the specialty in which they are registered or taken to be registered.

        (3)         A person cannot be on the specialist register unless the person is also on the general register.

        (4)         Subject to this Act, an individual is eligible for registration on the general register, and an individual registered on the general register is eligible for registration on the specialist register in a particular specialty, if they satisfy the Board that—

            (a)         they—

                  (i)         have qualifications recognised by the Board for the purposes of registration on the register to which the application relates; and

                  (ii)         have met the requirements determined by the Board to be necessary for the purposes of registration on that register; and

                  (iii)         are medically fit to provide veterinary services as a veterinarian; and

                  (iv)         are a fit and proper person to be registered on that register; and

            (b)         they are, unless exempted by the Board, insured in accordance with this Act; and

            (c)         they have, or propose to have, their principal place of residence in this State.

        (5)         For the purposes of subsection (4)(a)(i), a person will be taken to have the qualifications recognised by the Board for the purposes of registration on a register to which the application relates if that person is recognised by the educational institution at or through which they are obtaining the qualifications as having completed the academic requirements for those qualifications, but has not yet had the relevant academic award conferred upon them.

        (6)         An application for registration must—

            (a)         be made to the Board in the manner and form approved by the Board; and

            (b)         be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

        (7)         An applicant for registration must, if the Board so requires—

            (a)         provide the Board with specified information to enable the Board to determine the application; and

            (b)         verify, by statutory declaration, information furnished for the purposes of the application.

        (8)         The Board may require an applicant for registration—

            (a)         to submit a medical report or other evidence acceptable to the Board as to the applicant's medical fitness to provide veterinary services as a veterinarian; or

            (b)         to obtain additional qualifications or experience specified by the Board before the Board determines the application.

        (9)         The Board may, by notice in writing, impose conditions on a person's registration.

        (10)         The Board may, at any time, on its own initiative by written notice to a person with primary registration or on application by a person with primary registration, vary or revoke a condition imposed by the Board on the person's registration.

        (11)         If a person who applies for registration, or reinstatement of registration, on a particular register or in a particular specialty—

            (a)         does not, in the opinion of the Board, have the necessary qualifications or experience required for registration on that register or in that specialty; or

            (b)         is not, in the opinion of the Board, medically fit to provide veterinary services as a veterinarian; or

            (c)         is not, in the opinion of the Board, a fit and proper person to be registered on that register; or

            (d)         does not, and does not propose to, have their principal place of residence in a participating jurisdiction but is visiting, or proposes to visit, this State,

the Board may register the person on that register or in that specialty under this subsection ("limited registration")—

            (e)         in order to enable the person—

                  (i)         to do whatever is necessary to become eligible for full registration under this Act; or

                  (ii)         to teach or to undertake research or study in this State; or

                  (iii)         to provide veterinary services or engage in other conduct as a veterinarian while visiting this State; or

            (f)         if paragraph (a) applies but the person, in the opinion of the Board, has appropriate qualifications or experience in a particular area of veterinary practice obtained in an overseas jurisdiction—in order to enable the person to provide veterinary services or engage in other conduct as a veterinarian in that area of veterinary practice while residing in or visiting this State; or

            (g)         if, in its opinion, it would otherwise be in the public interest to do so.

        (12)         In registering a person under subsection (11), the Board may impose 1 or more of the following conditions on the registration:

            (a)         a condition restricting the places or times at which the person may provide veterinary services as a veterinarian;

            (b)         a condition limiting the kind of veterinary services that the person may provide as a veterinarian;

            (c)         a condition limiting the kind of animal in relation to which the person may provide veterinary services as a veterinarian;

            (d)         a condition limiting the period during which the registration will have effect;

            (e)         a condition requiring that the person be supervised in the provision of veterinary services as a veterinarian by a particular person or by a person of a particular class;

            (f)         such other conditions as the Board thinks fit.

        (13)         If it appears likely to the Executive Officer that the Board will grant an application for registration, the Executive Officer may provisionally register the applicant ("provisional registration").

        (14)         Provisional registration remains in force until the Board determines the application.

        (15)         The registration by the Board under this Act of a person who was provisionally registered has effect from the commencement of the provisional registration.

        (16)         In the case of a veterinarian who—

            (a)         is registered but is not practising; and

            (b)         is intending to transition to practising,

it will be taken to be a condition of their registration that they must comply with any reasonable requirements of the Board relating to that transition.

        (17)         The Board must publish the requirements referred to in subsection (16) on a website determined by the Board.

        (18)         The Board may refuse to determine an application for registration until any complaint made against the applicant under a corresponding law has been finally determined.

        (19)         A person who contravenes a condition imposed by the Board under this Act on the person's registration is guilty of an offence.

Maximum penalty: $20 000 or imprisonment for 6 months.