A shortage of vets in rural communities is putting livestock in danger and risking a further exodus of workers from the industry, according to farmers and veterinary clinics.
The only veterinarian service in the New South Wales central west town of Parkes closed last year.
This has left the remaining two clinics in Forbes to cover an area more than 12,700 square kilometres in size.
Forbes cattle farmer Rawson Leach recently required emergency assistance when his $18,000 bull showed signs of distress.
By the time the local vet had arrived at the property 40 minutes later, the bull had died.
"She was trying her hardest to get there, whether it would have made a difference I don't know, but there are obviously lots of situations where they are in one location and they get an emergency," Mr Leach said.
"There is a lot of driving involved so it would be good if there were more vets available to support us."
Mr Leach said the shortage of clinics in the region was a major concern for sheep and cattle farmers.
"There is a huge area of livestock between Forbes, West Wyalong and Condobolin and not a lot of vets to service it," he said.
Strain on vets
Patty Paul, one of the few remaining vets servicing Forbes and the surrounding area, said the lack of clinics was preventing them from assisting farmers.
"It is very challenging to spare a vet from the clinic to send them out on an emergency call when we already have a full book of appointments," she said.
"It is almost impossible to send someone out for an issue with calving or a sick cow."
Dr Paul said the closure of the Parkes clinic had put a strain on the services in the area and created an unsustainable situation.
"We were pretty busy before they closed down, we have become beyond busy since they have," she said.
"We are trying our best to service the Parkes people as they need us. We are tired and we're struggling because of it."
Nation-wide shortage
According to the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), a combination of "long hours, low wages and a high stress environment" has led to a shortage of vets across Australia.
AVA president Bronwyn Orr said without government support, the industry would continue to struggle to attract workers.
"We need something similar to what is in place for teachers, doctors and nurses and that is HECS forgiveness which would see veterinary graduates incentivised and encouraged to go to rural areas," Dr Orr said.
"Having some of their university debt wiped is a really big incentive for a profession where they are graduating with about $70,000 in debt while their starting salary is about $60,000."
Dr Orr said the industry could not fix itself without intervention.
"What we are seeing is a culmination of over a decade of under investment in the profession," she said.
"It is just assumed that the free market will look after things and we will have vets wherever we need them but that is not the case."
