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.

Advocacy news

Our wins – Veterans and physiotherapy

Our wins – Veterans and physiotherapy

Following sustained APA advocacy, the Australian Government’s 2026–27 Budget delivered significant improvements for veterans’ access to physiotherapy.

Ensuring access for our Thriving Kids

Ensuring access for our ‘Thriving Kids’

Thriving Kids represents the most significant reform to early childhood disability and developmental supports since the introduction of the NDIS.

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.

Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services

Hourly rate for the provision of physiotherapy services

The APA has now indexed the sustainable hourly rate to reflect changes in wages, inflation, market conditions and other operating costs.

women lying down getting physio to her hip

Gender-based undervaluation – HPSS awards review

Changes to the Health Professionals and Support Services (HPSS) Awards are set to apply from 1 October 2026. Prepare now for the changes.

 

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