Ahpra CEO Outlines Vision for Health Practitioner Regulation to 2031
25 Mar 2026
The strategy sets out the priorities for health practitioner regulation over the next five years, focusing on safety, cultural responsiveness, and workforce sustainability.
Untersteiner began by acknowledging the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong/Boon Wurrung peoples as Traditional Owners and paying respects to Elders past and present, highlighting the role of care, courage, and community in the work of First Nations Australians.
Reflecting on 2025, he noted major achievements:
- Successfully registering nearly a million practitioners, despite early challenges.
- Reducing aged notifications and closing the highest number of notifications in the Scheme’s history.
- Addressing harms in cosmetic procedures, medicinal cannabis prescribing, and superannuation access.
- Strengthening support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through anti-racism initiatives and cultural safety programs.
- Expedited pathways for internationally qualified practitioners, with more than 2,000 registered in record time.
The National Scheme Strategy 2031 focuses on three main themes:
- Effective harm prevention – ensuring safe and responsive regulation that identifies risks early and protects both the public and practitioners.
- Culturally safe health system – embedding cultural safety, self-determination, and Indigenous governance principles into regulatory processes.
- Sustainable health workforce – ensuring all communities have access to qualified practitioners, improving registration pathways, accreditation, and scope-of-practice endorsements.
Six strategic attributes will guide Ahpra’s work:
- Embed Scheme stewardship
- Focus on user experience
- Elevate community voices
- Work in partnership
- Optimise data and insights
- Empower and engage staff, board, and committee members
Untersteiner emphasised the importance of listening and learning, responding to scrutiny, and maintaining a culture that supports transparency, accountability, and practitioner responsibility.
He also acknowledged outgoing NMBA Chair Veronica Casey, praising her leadership and contributions to shaping a positive culture within the Board.
Untersteiner concluded with a message of optimism: the new strategy is ambitious, but by focusing on care, courage, and community, Ahpra and the wider National Scheme can achieve meaningful improvements in health practitioner regulation over the next five years.
https://www.ahpra.gov.au/
Source: Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)