Aust Vet J Vol 79, No 3, March 2001152

News

AVA/Pfizer awardsinfo kit coming

Arrangements for thePfizer/AVA Vet Practices ofExcellence Awards are taking

longer than anticipated to finalise andtherefore can’t be published, aspromised, in this issue of the journal.However, they are very nearcompletion and expected to ready inthe near future.The new awards, announced in lastmonth’s AVJ, will see six practicesaround Australia formally recognisedeach year as “Practices of Excellencein Customer Service” and at least twoof these must be mixed practiceswhere small animals represent lessthan 70% of the overall workload.Each winning practice will receive acash award, be profiled in the AVJand gain official recognition at thefollowing year’s AVA AnnualConference.It is hoped the first round of entriescan be processed this year – tofacilitate the judging and thedetermination of the first six awardwinners.A detailed information package andnomination kit is under developmentand will soon be available toMembers. This will outline thecriteria for the judging of the awardsand will include an officialnomination form. These packageswill be mailed upon request, onceavailable.These awards represent a generousinput from Pfizer, one of AVA’s majorcorporate sponsors. Pfizer and the AVA are keen to see theawards blossom into a major annualevent.The selection panel to assess theentries will include representatives of:AVA, Pfizer, ASAVA, AEVA, AACV,AVPMA and nominees from theveterinary industry sector.More details will be published in thejournal – and via AVAOnline - as soonas they become available.

VET PRACTICES

OF EXCELLENCE

The Australian Veterinary HistorySociety (AVHS) and Novartis havecombined to offer a $500 prize for

an essay competition for current studentveterinarians.As an added inducement for entries, thesponsors will also provide expenses toenable the winning author to attend theAVA’s Annual Conference in Adelaide nextyear to present their paper at the AVHSAGM, which will be conducted during theconference.The aim of the competition is to stimulategreater interest among youngerveterinarians in the history of the professionand of veterinary science.This year the essay contest will be confinedto topics related to: “Some Aspects ofVeterinary History of Parasitology inAustralia”, a field in which Australianveterinarians have been pre-eminent. Intending entrants are entitled to chooseany topic they wish within the set

parameters. The following titles aresuggested purely as a guide. “Blow Fly Strikein Sheep”, “Impact of VeterinaryPharmaceutical Companies on Researchand Control of Parasites”, “Evolution of theDrenching Gun”, “Biological control ofParasites”, “History of Control ofEctoparasites in Sheep”, and “Control ofCoccidiosis in Poultry”. It is suggested thatstudents approach staff faculty members forguidance in selecting a suitable subject andto seek their cooperation in supervisingtheir entries.The essay should be confined to the rangeof 2000-3000 words. It should be formattedas double-spaced on one side of sheets of A4paper. All pages should be properlynumbered and a word count given at theend of the text.Entries should be sent to the President ofthe Australian Veterinary History Society,Dr. Keith Baker, 65 Latimer Road, BellevueHill, NSW, 2023 by Monday, September 3.Enquiries: Tel) (02) 9327 3853.

AVHS/Novartis – student essay contest

SPECIAL NOTICEAdvertising rates for the AVJ will increasefrom April 1.

This is the first change in our pricingschedule in almost 18 months.

The increases will apply to tradeadvertisements and to our classifieds(AVJ and AVJ Classifieds Supplement).

They are necessary to offset increasesand production costs and to cover CPImovements.

The prices of colour advertisements(trade) will rise by seven per cent andmono bookings (black and white) afterthis month will cost an extra 10 per cent.

Our classifieds pricing schedule will beincreased by 10 per cent and advertisinginserts will rise by 10 per cent.

The AVJ management has also decidedthat no advertising agency commissionswill be paid for new business signed afterpublication of this (March 2001) journal.Any existing commission arrangementswith agencies will be honoured to theircurrent expiry date. The ACCC has ruledthat such commissions are unwarrantedand we agree. AVJ management will notparticipate in any discussions on thematter of retaining/preserving agencycommissions.

PALW this month

This year’s Protect AustralianLivestock Week (PALW) will bestaged between March 25 and

31.PALW is a campaign – now in its fourthyear – that has successfully raisedawareness about the dangers posed toAustralia’s multi-billion dollar livestockindustries by outbreaks of emergencyanimal diseases. It aims to makeAustralian livestock owners more awareof the risks posed by emergency animaldiseases to their livelihoods and thenational economy. The hotline number is 1800 675 888.This year more than 200 leadingindustry organisations and livestockproducers have supported the program.All major livestock sectors are involved.

Petalia working

Australia’s biggest pets andveterinary website portal –Petalia – is up and running.

Operated by a consortium includingProVet and the three largest Internetoperations in Australia, NineMSN(Nine Network and Microsoft), YahooAustralia and Telstra, it will channelmillions of Internet users here andoverseas into a range of local services.