Welcome to the DAV Website
The DAV is a non-profit association which exists to promote debate. It
is the peak debating body in Victoria and runs large competitions for
adults and for schools across Victoria. It provides training and
resources for debaters, teachers and adjudicators.
Schools Competition Resource Guides
The DAV publishes a Resource Guide which provides a brief for particular topics to facilitate student research for prepared topic debates. If feedback from a regional night held early in a round indicates that a topic is causing difficulties, additional detail will be added to the Resource Guide entry for that topic (but this is the only intervention we will undertake).
The Resource Guide is not a substitute for proper preparation, and its aim is simply to help you prepare your own case. You should not structure your case around the questions asked, nor should you rely too heavily only on the articles to which we provide links. Any ideas that the Resource Guide gives you will need to be explained just like any other material.
Resource Guides will be developed by our experienced adjudicating team and will be published over the coming weeks with priority given to earliest rounds. If you do not see a guide here yet, please check back again soon.
A Grade
Round 1: That the government should not build safe injecting rooms.
Round 2: That voluntourism does more harm than good.
Round 3: Secret Topic
Round 4: Secret Topic
Round 5: Secret Topic
B Grade
Round 1: That short-stay rental platforms (e.g. Airbnb, Stayz) have done more harm than good.
Round 2: That greenwashing should be a criminal offence.
Round 3: Secret Topic
Round 4: Secret Topic
Round 5: Secret Topic
C Grade
Round 1: That the Victorian government should financially incentivise people to move to regional Victoria.
Round 2: That electric cars do more harm than good.
Round 3: Recreation and Entertainment
Round 4: Secret Topic
Round 5: That alternative medicine (e.g. herbal remedies, hypnotherapy) should be banned.
D Grade
Round 1: That schools should ban contact sports.
Round 2: That Victoria should cancel the Suburban Rail Loop.
Round 3: That Australia should implement a 4-days school week.
Round 4: That Australian government elections should be conducted online.
Round 5: That streaming services (e.g. Netflix) made the wrong decision to ban password sharing.