Community-centred care for North Queensland{yellow-border}

Tableland Veterinary Service has been operating for nearly 50 years across multiple locations, united by a single purpose: to support better lives for the people, animals, and communities of North Queensland.

A true mixed practice clinic where no two days are the same, its eight locations deliver a blend of routine and emergency domestic pet care, alongside cattle services, wildlife support, and the only equine hospital north of Townsville.

City-level service for rural communities

In Tropical North Queensland, access to high-quality veterinary care has traditionally meant long drives to metropolitan centres. For Tableland Veterinary Service, closing that gap underpins every decision the business makes, from the scope of its services to how expertise is built and shared across teams.

“We aspire to bring a standard of medicine, facilities and service to our regional clients that they would otherwise have to travel to the city to access,” says Jason Chuck, General Manager of Tableland Veterinary Service.

“We encourage all of our staff to pursue niche areas of interest, so that we foster greater levels of expertise within our team and can refer to one another for more complex cases.”

A variety of care across land and livestock

Alongside preventative pet care, emergency medicine and surgery, Tableland Veterinary Service’s work extends well beyond individual animals to support livelihoods across the region. The team provides livestock services throughout North Queensland, serves as the chosen veterinary partner for Tree Kangaroo Rescue on the Atherton Tableland, and operates an equine hospital for rural and remote patients.

“The Malanda clinic has the only equine hospital north of Townsville,” Jason explains. “We are kept busy caring for horses in long-term treatment, emergency surgery or planned reproductive care.”

That work extends well beyond the hospital itself, with ambulatory equine services delivered across more than 1,000km of North Queensland – from Cooktown in the north through to Charters Towers in the south, and west into the Gulf. For horse owners, this on-site care is critical in regions where long travel times can delay treatment and affect animal welfare.

Supporting cattle producers is also central to the practice’s mixed offering. This includes herd health and advisory support for the dairy industry on the Atherton Tableland, alongside pregnancy testing, bull breeding soundness examinations and reproductive services for beef producers across North Queensland – helping sustain the long-term productivity of family-run operations and the agricultural supply chains that the region relies on.

Helping train the next generation

Tableland Veterinary’s partnership with James Cook University also sees the business playing a hands-on role in the future of the profession – an initiative Jason says the team is proud to be part of.

“We are honoured to play such an important role in developing the next generation of rural veterinarians.”

The Malanda clinic runs a satellite university campus and student grants program, as well as hosting final-year students undertaking their compulsory cattle clinical rotation.

Backed by a banking partner that understands the profession

Supporting such a broad, regionally critical operation requires a banking partner that understands both the veterinary sector and the realities of regional business.

For Tableland Veterinary Service, that understanding and support proved particularly important during a period of significant change. After restructuring the business to a more appropriate company model in 2024, an opportunity arose to purchase another clinic in the region.

“Our BOQ Specialist banking team were on hand to discuss how we restructure our finance in a way that best set us up for future success,” Jason says.

“They made the loan application process straightforward and guided us towards products that best suited our immediate cash flow needs, while remaining sustainable over the long term.”

During the post-COVID period, when vet shortages and rising operational pressures affected the profession broadly, that support extended beyond transactions.

“Our BOQ Specialist banker, Aaron, understood why it was important to invest in our people and systems,” Jason says. “They provided us short-term overdraft facilities to manage our cash flow and helped us restructure our long-term debt as we emerged from this period and prepared for future growth.”

Looking ahead, Jason says the relationship gives the business confidence to keep investing in regional capability.

“Having a banking partner that understands our history and our goals means that we are able to take advantage of new investment opportunities as they arise,” he says. “The accessibility and personal touch is so valuable in today’s rapidly changing business environment.”

Better lives for the community and the animals they care for

While the business spans seven locations and employs more than 100 people, Jason is clear that people remain at the centre of everything they do.

“We understand that people and animals make one another’s lives better, and the people that we interact with – our staff, our clients, and the communities we live and work in – are at the heart of animal care,” he says.

Tableland Veterinary Service sees that same shared commitment reflected in its partnership with BOQ Specialist.

“Our emphasis is squarely on the rural communities of Tropical North Queensland, and it is rewarding to work with a banking partner that shares our commitment to this beautiful state.”