In summary, this is what it means for those who apply and are approved by the Board as eligible for financial hardship consideration:

• recent graduates will pay 50 per cent less on their registration fee


• physiotherapists renewing their registration will pay the registration fee in two instalments, the first when they renew their registration and the second within six months of renewing.

You need to apply for financial hardship before you renew your registration or pay your registration fee to complete your graduate application. You can still start your application as a new graduate, then save it to resume once you know the outcome of your financial hardship application.

Board chair Kim Gibson says: ‘It is important at this time that we can support our profession in practical ways.

'Practitioners are playing a key role in the pandemic response and we hope the renewal payment changes will make it easier for them at this difficult time.

‘This is especially important for our newest practitioners as they begin their careers. We know many are without their casual jobs or are limited in their ability to work due to illness or caring for others in their household.

'We hope this halving of the registration fee will enable them to go ahead and register to join the physio workforce.’

Further details, including other information for new graduates this year, can be found on the Board’s website here.

These changes support a number of other measures the Board has adopted to help practitioners during the pandemic.

The CPD revisions allow a greater flexibility for practitioners while maintaining patient safety.

The Board understands how difficult it has been for many practitioners to meet their CPD requirements this year. While you are encouraged to meet these where you can, the Board will not take action at renewal this year against practitioners who cannot meet the CPD standard due to the pandemic.

>> Go to physiotherapyboard.gov.au for more information. Visit ahpra.gov.au/News/COVID-19.aspx for more about how the Board has adapted to the pandemic, and for updates relevant to all health professions under the National Scheme.