National Close the Gap Day is held annually on the third Thursday in March, which this year falls on 20 March. 

It’s a day that holds particular importance for the APA because we are keenly aware of the critical role that physiotherapy can, and should, play in closing the gap in life expectancy, child mortality and education and employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. 

Ahpra has identified that 0.7 per cent of the physiotherapy workforce identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, a statistic that closely mirrors our APA membership—253 out of 33,000 members (approximately 0.76 per cent) identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. 

By comparison, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practitioners represent 1.2 per cent across all professions while making up 3.8 per cent of the general population. 

To address this disparity, we are committed to increasing interest in and awareness of physiotherapy by promoting understanding of the pathways to becoming a physiotherapist and by highlighting the profession’s scope and potential impact on individual and community health. 

Our strategy includes collaborating with like-minded organisations to deliver educational initiatives for junior and high school aged kids. We firmly believe in the principle that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’. 

In 2024 we concluded our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, which focused on creating sustainable initiatives embedded within the APA’s core operations. 

Key outcomes included scholarships to enhance access to further study and career development, eight bursaries to fund travel to conferences and the introduction of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Hub. 

This is a dedicated platform where members can connect and discover what the APA is doing to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. 

Users can access the podcast series The Deadly Physios, review our Reconciliation plans, explore the First Nations Members 2024 report and discover fully subsidised membership options. 

We’ve also recently developed an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Protocols Guide, primarily created by our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee. 

This resource supports staff in observing cultural protocols, promoting respectful communications with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and ensuring that the APA’s work respects First Nations cultures, customs and practices. 

The guide builds on the APA’s vision for Reconciliation, which is for all Australians to value and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, expertise, connections to land and sea and traditional ways of healing. 

It will be made available to members later this year. As part of the Board and senior members’ commitment to further learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, we undertook a cultural immersion in November last year. 

The time the Board and I spent in Broome and visiting remote communities including Cygnet Bay, Lombadina and Beagle Bay aided our understanding of the issues that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

It was an invaluable experience that will stay with all of us for a long time. 

The APA also commissioned Burbangana Group, a 100 per cent First Nations-owned organisation, to undertake an external review of our cultural capability. 

Their report will help guide the initiatives to be developed for our next Reconciliation Action Plan in 2025–27. Our key advocacy message emphasises the under-utilisation of physiotherapy within our healthcare system and this is no different for First Nations populations. 

Physiotherapy has been shown to be very effective in managing common health issues such as musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease and injury rehabilitation, all of which contribute to the non-fatal disease burden. 

As we continue our journey of understanding, collaboration and creating meaningful change, we invite our members to join us in recognising the importance of First Nations health and the pivotal role physiotherapy can play in closing the gap. 

Our commitment is not just about statistics but about creating sustainable pathways for improved health outcomes and representation. 

>> Rob LoPresti 

APA Chief Executive Officer