As we step into a new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible work we’ve achieved together and share how we plan to continue building on this momentum. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) remains steadfast in its commitment to improving the lives of nurses, midwives, care workers, and communities across the country.

Looking back, 2024 was a landmark year for the ANMF. Together, we celebrated a century of advocacy, solidarity, and progress, culminating in the powerful documentary that captured the union’s transformative journey (now available on the ANMF website). Beyond this milestone celebration, we achieved significant advancements in our key areas of advocacy.

In aged care we saw significant reforms including historic wage increases for care workers marking a long-overdue acknowledgment of their dedication and professionalism. Alongside these gains, new regulations mandating registered nurses to be on-site 24/7 and the introduction of mandated care minutes for residents have begun to reshape aged care standards.

Over the past two years, the ANMF and the union movement have secured landmark reforms, including the Closing Loopholes and Secure Jobs, Better Pay Acts. These introduced vital protections such as the right to disconnect and improved conditions for casual and ‘employee-like’ workers. Meanwhile, the ANMF’s Aged Care Work Value Case resulted in significant wage increases for aged care nurses and assistants in nursing (AINs). In 2025, we aim to build on this progress with a second Work Value Case to raise minimum wage rates for all award covered registered nurses (RNs), midwives, enrolled nurses (ENs), and AINs outside the aged care sector.

The ANMF has also been working with the federal government and other nursing and midwifery organisations to ensure nurses and midwives can work to their full scope of practice, particularly in primary health services.

While there is still progress to be made, reforms such as the removal of collaborative arrangements for nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives represent steps in the right direction. Additionally, the federal government’s Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review has made several recommendations that could significantly improve accessibility for health consumers.

The ANMF has welcomed proposals for nurse practitioners, remote area nurses, and endorsed midwives to make direct referrals to medical specialists.

Many of the review’s recommendations align with the ANMF’s position on introducing innovative, multidisciplinary, nurse- and midwife-led models of care. The ANMF is now urging the government to fund these transformative models to improve healthcare access across the country.

Achieving gender equity remains central to the ANMF’s mission, reflecting the predominantly female composition of our workforce. While progress has been made - such as reducing the gender pay gap to 11.5% and achieving record-high women’s workforce participation at 63.2% - systemic challenges persist. Key wins include legislating gender equality in the Fair Work Act, banning pay secrecy clauses, expanding paid parental leave to 26 weeks by 2026, and introducing superannuation on paid parental leave from 2025. Despite these advancements, the ANMF continues to advocate for policies addressing lifetime earning inequalities for women, including promoting workplace flexibility, leadership opportunities, and equity across all sectors.

These victories are a testament to the strength of our collective voice and the unwavering dedication of our members. But as always, there is more work to be done.

In 2025, we will build on these achievements and push for further reforms. We will renew our focus and call on all members to continue standing together. Whether you’re on the front lines of care, leading advocacy efforts, or supporting your colleagues, your voice is invaluable.

Together, we have made nursing and midwifery stronger and safer. Together, we can meet the challenges ahead and create the future we want for ourselves and the communities we serve.

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