Veterinary Surgeons Act 1936 and Veterinary Surgeons Regulation 2016

The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1936 and Veterinary Surgeons Regulation 2016 provide the criteria for a person to be suitably qualified to perform veterinary science in Queensland.

The Act provides for a Veterinary Surgeons Board and a Veterinary Tribunal, which work together to maintain and improve the standard of veterinary practice in the state.

This is achieved by:

  • ensuring registered veterinarians are fit and proper persons to practise
  • investigating complaints concerning individual veterinarians and disciplining those persons when warranted
  • monitoring and regulating the establishment and standard of veterinary premises
  • ensuring non-veterinarians are not performing veterinary science for fee and reward
  • informing the Minister for Primary Industries of changes to legislation that may be required to meet needs.

The Queensland Minister for Primary Industries is responsible for administration of the Act. However, decisions made by the Veterinary Surgeons Board are independent of government.

Contact the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Queensland for more information.

Animal Care and Protection Act 2001

The Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 promotes the responsible care and use of animals. It places a legal duty of care on any person in charge of an animal to meet that animal's needs in an appropriate way.

‘Person in charge’ includes the person who has custody of an animal. This is extended to you, as a veterinarian, while an animal is in your care.

The Act allows you to undertake on an animal, in the interest of the animal’s welfare, a surgical procedure that would otherwise be illegal (such as docking procedures, debarking and declawing).

There are also provisions dedicated to the use of animals for scientific purposes.

Contact Biosecurity Queensland and the RSPCA for more information.

Consider also

Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008

The Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 sets out Queensland’s rules for registering, microchipping and managing cats and dogs. It aims to promote:

  • responsible pet ownership
  • community safety.

Under the Act, cats and dogs must be microchipped:

  • before 12 weeks of age

or

  • when sold or given away.

The Act includes provisions for regulated dogs (dangerous, menacing or restricted breeds). You may be called upon by local governments to assess regulated dogs and provide relevant documentation.

Consider also

Nature Conservation Act 1992

The Nature Conservation Act 1992 protects Queensland’s native wildlife, habitats and ecosystems. It regulates the conservation and use of protected animals, plants and areas to ensure biodiversity is maintained.

The Act outlines your responsibilities when treating or handling protected wildlife. This includes requirements for:

  • holding and rehabilitating injured native animals
  • reporting certain cases to authorities.

Consider also

Native animals as pets

Some native animals can be kept under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Nature Conservation (Protected Areas) Regulation 1994. You need a permit to keep:

  • most species of reptiles
  • most species of amphibians
  • some birds.

Also, you need a licence to keep marsupials or monotremes unless you are keeping them for rehabilitation.

The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation manages permit and licence applications.

Biosecurity Act 2014

The Biosecurity Act 2014 provides measures to protect our agricultural sector, our economy, our environment and the community from biosecurity risks.

Veterinarians in Queensland have key responsibilities under the Act, particularly in:

  • managing biosecurity risks
  • upholding the general biosecurity obligation (GBO).

The GBO requires anyone working with animals to take reasonable and practical steps to prevent or reduce biosecurity risks. For veterinarians, this involves:

  • recognising and reporting notifiable incidents and reportable diseases
  • adhering to biosecurity protocols
  • guiding clients on disease prevention and control.

Biosecurity entity registration

If you, as a veterinarian or otherwise, own or keep any designated animals in Queensland, you must be registered as a biosecurity entity. You need to register if you:

  • are a landowner
  • are a lessee
  • agist your animals on someone else’s land
  • keep beehives on someone else’s land.

Your veterinary premises need to be registered if they hold any of the designated animals, for example for hospitalisation or agistment.

Designated animals

  • 1 or more:
    • cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, bison, buffalo or deer
    • camels, alpacas, llamas or other animals from the Camelidae family
    • horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, zebras or other animals from the Equidae family
  • 100 or more birds that:
    • are raised for human consumption (such as poultry)
    • are raised for the production of eggs for human consumption (such as poultry)
    • have been released into free flight since they started being kept in captivity (such as pigeons)
  • 1 or more European honey bee hives

Prohibited and restricted pest and invasive animals

Most prohibited and restricted pest and invasive animals cannot be kept as pets in Queensland. Zoos and circuses may keep certain species under strict permit conditions.

In legislation, ‘prohibited animals’ and ‘restricted animals’ are part of ‘prohibited matter’ and ‘restricted matter’.

Prohibited matter

Prohibited matter includes all animals that are not present in Queensland but if they were present would pose a serious threat to:

  • Queensland’s agriculture
  • our natural environment
  • our livestock
  • human health
  • people’s livelihoods.

These species are strictly banned and include:

  • chameleons
  • boa constrictors
  • corn snakes
  • ferrets.

Restricted matter

Restricted matter includes animals that are already present in Queensland and pose environmental or agricultural risks. They are subject to control measures, including restrictions on keeping, feeding or releasing them.

Animals that cannot be kept, fed or released include:

  • rabbits
  • dingoes
  • foxes.

Animals that cannot be fed or released include:

  • feral cats
  • feral deer
  • feral goats
  • feral pigs.

Obligations for veterinarians

You have specific obligations when dealing with prohibited and restricted matter. You must understand these to ensure compliance and prevent biosecurity risks.

Prohibited matter

If you become aware of a prohibited animal or you believe that something (such as an animal, plant or disease) you are aware of is prohibited matter, follow this process:

  • Report it to Biosecurity Queensland within 24 hours (unless you are aware that it has already been reported).
  • Take all reasonable steps to:
    • minimise the risks of the prohibited matter
    • avoid making the situation worse.

If you do not know whether an animal is prohibited matter, contact Biosecurity Queensland.

You may provide emergency treatment to a prohibited animal. However, boarding or rehoming them is an offence.

If the emergency treatment requires hospitalisation, follow these guidelines:

  • Take all reasonable precautions to ensure the animal cannot escape.
  • Provide only the treatment necessary to stabilise the animal.
  • Contact Biosecurity Queensland as soon as possible for advice.
  • Avoid long-term hospitalisation—keeping the animal beyond emergency treatment could be considered an offence.

Restricted matter

You may treat an animal that is classified as restricted matter (such as a rabbit). If the animal is being kept as a pet, responsibility lies with the owner.

Although you do not have to report restricted animals, you may advise owners about the legal restrictions. It is illegal in Queensland to:

  • board or rehome a restricted animal
  • release a restricted animal (such as a rabbit, fox or feral pig)
  • conduct trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs for feral cats.

You may euthanase a restricted animal or surrender it to local authorities. You may not transport it interstate, because the Act defines transport as ‘keeping’.

If you need to treat an animal that is legally kept interstate but not allowed in Queensland (such as an animal kept near the border that needs emergency care), contact Biosecurity Queensland for guidance. If you are likely to encounter these circumstances, seek pre-emptive guidance from Biosecurity Queensland.

Medicines and Poisons Act 2019

The Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 regulates the use, storage, prescribing and supply of medicines and poisons in Queensland. It sets out requirements for:

  • prescribing and dispensing veterinary medicines
  • maintaining accurate records
  • ensuring compliance with regulations for controlled drugs.

The Act also outlines your obligations for:

  • secure storage
  • reporting of loss or theft
  • adherence to restrictions on prescribing.

You must understand these requirements and obligations to ensure medications in your practice are managed safely and legally.

Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021

You have professional responsibilities under the provisions of the Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021, in particular in respect to controlled drugs (S8) and restricted drugs (S4).

A person must not be in possession of a controlled or restricted drug without authority.

As a veterinarian, you are authorised, only to the extent necessary, to obtain, possess, administer and dispense prescription drugs.

The misuse of prescription drugs by authorised persons including veterinarians is a serious offence.

Contact Queensland Health for more information.

Consider also

Radiation Safety Act 1999

The intent of the Radiation Safety Act 1999 is to protect people from the health risks associated with exposure to radiation. Legislative requirements apply for veterinarians who possess and/or use or intend to possess and/or use radiation sources, including equipment for plain film veterinary radiography.

If you intend to use radiation sources, you must hold a use licence. If you own radiation sources, you must hold a possession licence.

Contact Radiation Health for more information.

Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988

The Chemical Usage (Agricultural and Veterinary) Control Act 1988 describes the restrictions placed on veterinarians for using, prescribing and supplying a registered, unregistered or compounded veterinary chemical product. For details, see Part 2, Division 2.

Contact the Department of Primary Industries for more information.

More information

Last updated: 14 Apr 2025