Australia needs a healthcare workforce that is safe, skilled and ready for what comes next. That demands more than strong standards. It demands trusted partners prepared to listen, lead and act on behalf of Australian patients and communities.

The Australian Physiotherapy Council is proud to be that partner. We play a critical role in the physiotherapy profession, where education becomes capability, international experience translates into Australian practice, and quality builds public confidence.

Trust is earned through action

We stand alongside the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) and the wider profession because our workforce challenges are shared, and demand a shared response. Our support for the APA Focus 2026 Conference is more than sponsorship. It is an investment in connection, learning and supporting the next generation of physiotherapists.

Our wider partnerships extend across universities, employers, regulators, governments and international organisations. Together, we tackle workforce challenges that no organisation can solve alone. We bring these perspectives together, combining evidence, expertise and innovation to turn shared workforce challenges into practical solutions.

By connecting education, assessment and employment, we strengthen pathways into practice, build confidence across the system and help the profession respond to Australia’s evolving healthcare needs.

Standards that create opportunity

Quality enables workforce growth. By accrediting Australian entry-level programs and assessing internationally qualified physiotherapists, we create trusted pathways into practice for employers, practitioners and the public.

The Council accredits 58 programs in total, in 2025-2026 we supported a university pipeline of 4,270 enrolments. We received 1,653 eligibility applications from international physiotherapists wanting to work in Australia and issued 839 final certificates across our assessment pathways. Behind every figure is a person moving closer to physiotherapy practice, and an eco-system enabling potential into safe, effective care.

A strong voice where decisions are made

More than 50,000 physiotherapists are now registered across Australia, a significant national workforce supporting patients and communities in every setting.

As a trusted partner, we engage with political leaders on workforce supply, education quality and community need. We bring data led and practical insights from across the profession so decision makers can respond to today’s realities and collaborate with us for what comes next.

We are proud of our strong partnerships across the healthcare system. We recognise that our responsibility reaches beyond the physiotherapy profession to every patient and community that relies on safe, high quality physiotherapy care.

We’re committed to protecting quality, building better pathways and using our voice to strengthen physiotherapy, from newly enrolled physiotherapy students through to new entrants into the healthcare workforce.

Together, we will continue building a strong future for physiotherapy.