As we navigate an increasingly complex healthcare landscape, the APA stands at a pivotal moment. 

Our advocacy agenda is our blueprint for transforming how physiotherapy is recognised, funded and integrated. 

The Australian healthcare system faces significant demands, from musculoskeletal conditions to injuries caused by falls and chronic back pain—conditions where physiotherapy can deliver cost-effective outcomes backed by robust research. 

Yet physiotherapy remains underutilised and underfunded compared to its proven potential to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes. 

A future where there is sufficient funding to allow everyone to access a physiotherapist when and where they need one must be our goal. 

In accordance with our 2025 strategic plan, Towards 2030, we will improve our visibility, credibility and systemic impact by investing in media and communication strategies, influencing workforce policy and demonstrating the value of physiotherapy through compelling evidence, policy and pricing strategies. 

Targeted communication strategies can enhance our public profile and influence consumer decision-making. This initiative will create a self-reinforcing cycle of recognition, demand and support with the potential to transform how physiotherapy is perceived and funded across Australia. 

To elevate the profession, we must share evidence that speaks to funders, governments and communities. 

A larger role in the allied health space will give us more control over reforms (such as the NDIS funding cuts) that impact our profession directly. Sharing the power of physiotherapy also necessitates a strong foundation. 

A supportive, inclusive culture empowers our APA staff, volunteers and Board members to flourish. 

Championing workforce sustainability and building a nurturing workplace that prioritises employee wellbeing will have a positive impact on members and the profession as a whole. 

Advocating with a strong collective voice involves creating powerful partnerships. 

Collaboration is key to our agenda; we know that by forging alliances and embracing co-design we can gain new perspectives and grow our influence. 

As APA President Rik Dawson points out in First Word, this collaboration can take place at all levels of the profession. 

Recruiting allies and friends of physiotherapy allows us to share the vision that physiotherapy is an essential part of allied health. From our Board to employees, members and volunteers, we must be united in our message, intent and impact. 

This unity will be embedded in the language we use, the priorities we set and the culture we create across the APA. 

Each interaction is an opportunity to elevate the profile of physiotherapy and demonstrate its essential role in Australia’s healthcare future. Success will require each of us to become confident communicators of our strategic priorities. 

Whether you’re speaking with a patient, a colleague or a policymaker, you have the power to advance our advocacy agenda. Following the recent NDIS funding cuts, we demonstrated that our advocacy vision is already in action through a comprehensive national campaign. 

This encompassed a petition that gained over 60,000 signatures and was subsequently tabled in Parliament, an advocacy toolkit that enabled members to effectively engage with their local members of parliament and the amplification of member stories across social media. 

The future of physiotherapy in Australia depends on our collective action today. 

I’m confident that together, we will achieve our vision of accessible, well-funded physiotherapy that transforms lives across the nation. 

To learn more about our strategic plan, click here or watch my video with Chair of the APA Board of Directors Mark Round on PhysioHub.

>>Rob LoPresti

APA Chief Executive Officer