To work as a physiotherapist in Australia, practitioners must be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (the Board).

The Board’s priority is to ensure that Australians have access to safe and quality physiotherapy care.

The Board’s key roles are to regulate physiotherapists; to develop standards, codes and guidelines for the profession; and to consider and make decisions on complaints about individual practitioners (except in New South Wales and Queensland*).

The duties of the Board include:
•    registering physiotherapists and students
•    developing standards, codes and guidelines for the physiotherapy profession
•    handling notifications, complaints, investigations and disciplinary hearings
•    assessing overseas-trained practitioners who wish to practise in Australia
•    approving accreditation standards and accredited courses of study.

The Board works with Ahpra under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law to ensure Australians have access to an appropriately skilled workforce.

Board members

The Physiotherapy Board comprises 12 board members. 

Eight of these are physiotherapists and four are community members. 

Every three years the Physiotherapy Board positions are renewed and new members are appointed. 

We are very excited to announce Dr Paula Harding as the new Board Chair and to introduce the new members of the Board.

Dr Paula Harding MACP, APA Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist— chair and practitioner member, Victoria

Paula is in her third term and has been appointed as the new chair of the Board. Paula has over 30 years of experience working as a physiotherapist in both private and public settings.

Paula is currently the director of allied health at Barwon Health and works part-time at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne as the allied health credentialing and scope of practice lead. 

Her interests are in optimising the workforce to work to top of scope and within advanced practice roles, and supporting clinical excellence with research and quality improvement initiatives that improve the quality and safety of healthcare.

Daniel Mahony APAM—practitioner member, Western Australia

Dan’s experience spans clinical practice, leadership, health management, defence and professional associations. 

Based in regional Western Australia, he has experience working in clinical practice and health management for the WA Country Health Service. 

Dan is currently deputy chair of the Clinical Senate of Western Australia, officer in charge of physiotherapy for the Royal Australian Air Force and a member of the Australian Medical Assistance Team.

Carolyn O’Mahoney MACP, APA Titled Paediatric Physiotherapist— practitioner member, Australian Capital Territory

Carolyn currently works privately as a sole trader, contractor, clinical mentor and speaker. 

Carolyn has worked across five states and territories in Australia throughout her 25-year career. 

Carolyn has worked in hospital, community, non-government organisation and private roles with broad clinical experiences—including running her own multidisciplinary clinic.

Professor Wayne Hing—practitioner member, Queensland

Wayne has over 40 years of experience working as a physiotherapist in private, public and educational settings. 

He has significant health industry experience spanning clinical practice, education, research, management and governance, regulation and health reform.

Steven Price—community member, Victoria

Steve has leadership experience across the health, aged care and mental health sectors. 

As the lived experience stream lead for community connection and wellbeing at Neami National, Steve supports the elevation of diverse lived experience perspectives of mental health challenges to support service delivery and drive innovation.

Emma Jarvis—community member, Western Australia

Emma is the CEO of Palmerston Association and sits on several community service peak boards. 

She has extensive qualifications and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management.

Andrew Mitchell—community member, Tasmania

Andrew brings extensive experience in governance, advocacy and stakeholder engagement across the community, health and training sectors.

Shellie Burgess—practitioner member, New South Wales

Based in Bathurst, Shellie is the Rural Health Network manager at the Agency for Clinical Innovation (NSW Health), bringing over 20 years of experience as a rural and remote physiotherapist across public, private and not-for-profit sectors in New South Wales and Queensland.

Click here to find out more about the functions and responsibilities of different regulators and stakeholders in the physiotherapy profession in Australia.

*In New South Wales, complaints about practitioners are managed by the Health Care Complaints Commission, the Health Professional Councils Authority and the 15 health professional councils. In Queensland, complaints are managed by the Office of the Health Ombudsman.