Advocacy

 
The APA believes that all Australians deserve equal access to safe, high quality, evidence based care. We are the only organisation in Australia that advocates exclusively for the interests of physiotherapists and physiotherapy patients.
 

Advocacy

 

Welcome to Advocacy

The APA advocates for service efficiency, research-informed treatment modalities and practitioner scope of practice. Our advocacy covers direct lobbying with members of parliament and key stakeholders. We actively participate in education forums and develop strategic discussion papers, position statements and formal submissions, prepared in collaboration with our membership.

Latest in Advocacy

Ensuring sustainable NDIS pricing for physiotherapists

Ensuring sustainable NDIS pricing for physiotherapists

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is actively advancing its NDIS pricing advocacy since the NDIA’s major pricing changes took effect on 1 July 2025.

Physiotherapy and women’s pain

Our wins - Physiotherapy and women’s pain

Following a sustained APA campaign, the Victorian Government’s Inquiry into Women’s Pain has made 27 recommendations, many reflecting APA’s advocacy.

Physiotherapy - Shaping our future together. Next Generation White Paper

Next Generation White Paper

The APA’s latest white paper is more than a report—it’s a bold blueprint for shaping the future of our profession. It amplifies emerging voices and responds with meaningful action.

Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services

Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services

The Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services report provides an evidence-based foundation for your own decision-making, while also serving as a critical tool in our advocacy with funders.

women lying down getting physio to her hip

Gender-based undervaluation – priority awards review

In April 2025, the Fair Work Commission released a provisional decision outlining proposed changes to the Health Professionals and Support Services (HPSS) Award.

The valuing skills series works to ensure a safer healthcare system.

The APA Valuing Skills Series

A resource space to provide funders and policy-makers with information to understand the clinical depth of the physiotherapy profession. We’re ensuring a safer healthcare system, now and into the future.

Advocacy

 

Advocacy priorities

Learn more about our advocacy priorities.

 

Hands shaking

Equitable access

Our reforms focus on removing barriers and delivering efficient and cost-effective physiotherapy care for the people most in need:

  • First Nations Peoples
  • Rural Health
  • Australians with disability
  • Older people
  • Veterans
  • Mental health

Primary care

Primary care reform

Our advocacy centres on reforms to strengthen the primary care system and improve equity of access to essential care for all Australians through affordable high-value physiotherapy. This includes:

  • National Healthcare Reform
  • Private Health Insurance
  • Patient pathways direct referrals (report by Nous Group)

Care

Acute care

Our advocacy efforts are focused on creating efficiencies in our hospital systems and strengthening care through multidisciplinary care teams:

  • Hospital physiotherapy
  • Connecting Acute and Primary Care

Physical therapy classroom

Future proofing

We aim to leverage the skills of the entire health workforce to bring about meaningful health reform, with a focus on the key elements of workforce policy:

  • Workforce census
  • Workforce planning
  • Next generation
  • Rural workforce
  • Digital health