The Tyranny of Distance: Mapping the accessibility of veterinary services in Australia using geospatial modelling

Abstract

Introduction: The accessibility of veterinary services, particularly in rural and regional areas, has been a topic of international discussion for some time. Little is known about the current distribution and accessibility of veterinary services in Australia. This study aimed to find out what parts of Australia are affected by veterinary ‘care deserts’ to help better inform the current debate. Materials and Methods: Open geospatial datasets and open-source tools were used to model accessibility to veterinary services across Australia. Veterinary Service Locations were compiled from Overture Maps and augmented via the Google Places Application Programming Interface (API). Travel-time isochrones were generated with Valhalla using OpenStreetMap roads, and population exposure was assessed using GHSL data. Results: Veterinary services were found to be geographically inaccessible to more than 250,000 Australians. The Northern Territory was the worst affected jurisdiction, with more than 20% of the population not having access to a veterinary clinic. Rural and regional suburbs were overrepresented as having veterinary care deserts. Conclusion: Inaccessible veterinary services is a human equity issue, as well as an animal health and welfare concern. Poor veterinary coverage in rural and regional areas increases the risk of disease outbreaks and leads to preventable diseases and deaths in animals. Innovative solutions are required to improve veterinary services in Australia's care deserts.