{"id":5176,"date":"2016-08-17T20:59:26","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T10:59:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veterinarycareers.com.au\/dev\/?p=5176"},"modified":"2019-02-06T00:40:05","modified_gmt":"2019-02-05T13:40:05","slug":"chief-veterinary-officer-appointed-in-new-south-wales-abc-rural","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veterinarycareers.com.au\/dev\/chief-veterinary-officer-appointed-in-new-south-wales-abc-rural\/","title":{"rendered":"Chief veterinary officer appointed in New South Wales – ABC Rural\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
NSW COUNTRY HOUR<\/a><\/span> SALLY BRYANT<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

PHOTO:\u00a0<\/strong>Christine Middlemiss has worked in the public and private sectors.<\/p>\n

A Scottish veterinarian with a background in sheep genetics in private practice in the United Kingdom, as well as in animal health in the public sector, has been appointed to the role of chief veterinary officer with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

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Christine Middlemiss comes from a farming family in the south of Scotland, with a background in beef cattle and sheep.<\/p>\n

She has experience in the private and public sector aspects of veterinary medicine.<\/p>\n

Dr Middlemiss said she was attracted to the concept of working within a system that had a reputation for high standards in quality and high health status of livestock and exports.<\/p>\n

“For me to be able to get into that space and understand, from field to fork, how that happens is a great opportunity,” she said.<\/p>\n

As well as having responsibility in terms of biosecurity, the chief veterinarian takes a lead role in the development of animal health and welfare policy, and operations at a state and national level.<\/p>\n

Dr Middlemiss said animal welfare was a topic that continued to attract growing interest.<\/p>\n

“We see that everywhere. I am very familiar with this from the UK,” she said.<\/p>\n

“Ask anybody on the street anywhere and they all have an opinion about it.<\/p>\n

“I suppose fundamentally for me, good welfare is synonymous with good health; it helps our exports, it helps our productivity, it helps socially. People have an interest.<\/p>\n

“So animal health and animal welfare can’t be devolved.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n