Shortage of vets in Western Bay

Where are all the vets? That's what one veterinary clinic owner is wondering after being unable to attract a new employee for more than a year _ despite the drawcard of the Bay offering sun and surf.
Paul Greaves says he has not had a single response from across the country or the United Kingdom since he started looking for a vet at the beginning of last year.
His comments come as World Veterinary Day was marked on Saturday, revealing that more than a third of the country's veterinary graduates over the past 14 years are no longer working in New Zealand.
Dr Greaves, owner of Mount Maunganui Veterinary Service Ltd, said the shortage had a lot to do with student loans. After five years of study, a first-year graduate earns a salary of between $46,000 and $54,000 while their student loan could be up to $70,000.
Overseas, they could be paid two or three times as much. This has resulted in only 62 per cent of our graduates staying in the country, says the Veterinary Council of New Zealand.
"A lot of vets and other professionals, doctors and dentists are going overseas to get the better pay. They'd rather go overseas and pay back their loan faster," Dr Greaves, a vet for 29 years, said.
Tony Austwich, of Veterinary Services, said he struggled to find someone willing to work with both large and small animals at his Katikati and Tauranga clinics.
Most preferred to work with solely small animals and he said, "most vets could go and find another job tomorrow".
"It's not a 9-5 job unfortunately. And, it's not as well paid as you think it is."
He saw no end in sight to the shortage but did suggest the government step in.
"If the government could say, `stay in New Zealand for five years and we will wipe some of your debt', that could help keep some vets here."
John Thurston, of Te Puke Vet Centre, said a scholarship for new vets helped draw them to his clinic but generally after two years, young vets went overseas.
The shortage of vets in rural areas was to be discussed next month by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, MAF officials and the Veterinary Association and Veterinary Council.