In the next few weeks, you will decide whether you will remain a member of your professional peak body.

I hope that in the past 12 months we have earned the privilege to represent you and fight for you.

Advancing the profession and providing value to our members have been our driving force and we’ve left nothing in the tank.

It has been another tumultuous, surprising year—in many ways even more so than the last.

The fragmented, state-led approach to COVID-19 management has produced numerous challenges, with each state implementing different rules and restrictions for allied health.

Interpreting public health orders and actively lobbying for changes where they were required has occupied our time and tested our stamina.

In the face of these challenges, I am proud of what we’ve achieved together.

We are now a membership of 30,000—united for the advancement of physiotherapy.

In most states, despite the overwhelmingly conservative approach by governments to the containment of the Delta strain, we advocated successfully for physiotherapy to remain open for essential care.

In Western Australia and Victoria, where restrictions to practice were most profound, we fought for greater access to critical in-person care.

I am pleased that the Western Australian Government has recently announced that essential physio care will be allowed and that in Victoria the initial ban on face-to-face care was overturned following APA advocacy.

Non-COVID advocacy has not only continued but flourished in this challenging landscape.

We were invited to provide evidence at enquiries into mental health and aged care and are fast becoming a ‘go-to’ organisation for policy advice for the federal government.

In 2022, we will continue to grow our influence and passionately advocate for what matters to our members.

You may have seen our consumer-facing campaigns, of which there will be more in 2022.

We began the year with a comprehensive women’s health campaign and will finish it educating consumers on the value and role of physiotherapy in cancer care.

Keep an eye in 2022 on resources you can use in your workplace to promote physiotherapy to your community.

Each year we introduce new clinical areas to the Career Pathway.

Pathways in Advanced Practice and Leadership will be delivered in 2022, giving physiotherapists new opportunities to work towards Fellowship of the Australian College of Physiotherapists.

We also look forward to welcoming you to the THRIVE and FOCUS conferences in Brisbane and Perth respectively and to the many face-to-face and online programs that form our comprehensive professional development offer.

The APA Member Insurance Program continues to be one of the most comprehensive and most affordable professional indemnity programs available for physiotherapists.

Our collective buying power enables us to secure a very competitive rate and inclusions that other programs don’t have, such as $20 million cover and insurance for boundary violation claims.

If you aren’t insured through the APA Member Insurance Program, I strongly encourage you to take a closer look.

We entered 2021 optimistic about what lay ahead.

It turned out to be more of a roller-coaster than we imagined.

Who knows what 2022 will bring?

Whatever its challenges, they will be more easily met with a community of 30,000 and your APA behind you.