Advocacy in Action: How our Regulation Advisory Committee Helped Shape our Advocacy for National Registration

In January 2026, Speech Pathology Australia’s Regulation Advisory Committee held its final meeting, concluding a significant phase of work to strengthen the regulatory foundations of the profession. The Committee was established in October 2024 to provide feedback on regulatory issues and to help inform SPA’s advocacy on national regulatory reforms.

We would like to acknowledge and thank Trish Bradd, Kathryn Farmer, Melissa Fischer, Alison Smith, Alicia Dickson, and Bernice Mathisen for their engagement, insights and valuable contributions.

The Committee brought together lived experience, clinical expertise, academic perspectives and policy insight to ensure that the needs of speech pathologists and the people you support were reflected in national discussions about the future of regulation. Over the past few years, members contributed analysis, provided feedback on our submissions, and helped shape our policy positions on a range of key issues. 

NRAS Complexity Review

A major area of work was the NRAS Complexity Review (the Review), released in September 2025. The Review made 26 recommendations aimed at strengthening and modernising the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS). Our members have expressed an interest in becoming Ahpra-registered to obtain title protection and strengthen requirements for safe, high-quality care. 

Committee members contributed detailed feedback during the Review, helping to refine our positions. The Committee welcomed key outcomes from the review, which aligned with our recommendations including:  

  • Proposals for registration models that include title protection, and mandatory registration to be eligible to practise. 
  • A recommendation for Health Ministers to review and revise the risk assessment method used to determine which professions enter NRAS. 
  • Complaints handling reform across state and territory health complaints entities, including measures to improve consistency and accountability. 

Committee Contributions and Outcomes

We heard from members and non-member speech pathologists in a 2024 survey that you wish to be nationally registered through a mechanism such as Ahpra-registration, and the Regulation Advisory Committee provided further feedback. In early 2025, the SPA Board resolved that SPA will pursue national registration for Speech Pathologists.  

The Committee played an important role in informing our regulatory work. Our advocacy helped to shape several recommendations in the NRAS Complexity Review, which guided key decisions by Health Ministers, including 

  • Initiating a review and revision of the risk assessment method and process for new professions to assessed for NRAS entry, which may provide an opportunity for speech pathology to be considered in future. 
  • Momentum toward improved complaints handling systems, consistent with recommendations of the NRAS Complexity Review. 

These outcomes reflect the Committee’s work with our team to elevate the profile of speech pathology within national regulatory discussions and ensure that policy settings adequately recognise the opportunities and responsibilities inherent in speech pathology practice. 

Next Steps

With the completion of its Terms of Reference, the Committee’s work has now concluded. In future, we will develop a new reference group with a broader focus on workforce and regulatory issues. Further information, including expressions of interest, will be shared with members in the coming months.

We thank all Committee members for their time, expertise and commitment. Their contributions have strengthened our advocacy and helped ensure the profession is well positioned for future regulatory reform.

We are currently advocating for expansion of the risk assessment for entry into the NRAS to reflect the importance of safe, high quality speech pathology care. This aims to support future advocacy for speech pathologists to become Ahpra-registered. 

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