It would be an understatement to say that registration renewal this year has been challenging.
While more than half of Australia’s nurses and midwives had successfully renewed their registration by 21 May, ANMF is aware that many members are still having issues navigating AHPRA’s new registration portal.
Acknowledging this, we welcomed AHPRA’s announcement a few weeks ago that it was waiving the late fee until 15 June. All nurses and midwives remain registered and able to practice until 30 June.
If you have not renewed by 15 June, the late fee is $30. If you have not renewed by 1 July, your registration will lapse. ANMF have sought answers from AHPRA about what will happen to nurses and midwives who wish to re-register but are unable to do so by the end of this month.
In the meantime, AHPRA has extended its customer support hours from 8am to 8pm AEST, but it’s not enough. ANMF has been liaising with the NMBA and AHPRA over these issues, and expressed our concerns.
If the re-registration process has caused distress or anxiety for you, I encourage you to reach out to the Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria (NMHPV). This service is free, confidential and independent. It is run by specially trained nurses and midwives for nurses and midwives.
What’s happening with the public sector mental health nurses EBA?
For public sector mental health nurse members, I acknowledge the wait for further information regarding timing of wage increases has been frustrating.
Following several weeks of intense discussions with the Victorian Government and senior Department of Health representatives, ANMF and all bargaining parties this afternoon (Friday 6 June 2025) received an updated Victorian public sector mental health offer with improved timings for nurse wage increases.
These new timings appear to address the inequities between the general public sector nurses’ and mental health nurses wage increases.
This updated offer also includes a three-tiered NUM classification structure, aligned to the general nurses NUM structure.
ANMF is now carefully working through these documents and will provide members with further information including an updated wages and allowances schedule early next week.
Mental health members have been sent a campaign update and invitation to an information session on Wednesday 11 June 2025, 2pm-3.15pm. This session, offered in person and online, will provide members with further details about wages and conditions in the proposed 2025 public sector mental health EBA.
Register for the information session here
Keep an eye on your inboxes, look out for your ANMF organiser when they visit your workplace and speak with your Job Reps. We will ensure all mental health members have materials explaining the wage schedule in detail, in addition to a summary of other key wins contained in the agreed in principle offer.
What about other EBAs?
In other EBA news, nurses and midwives at Epworth Healthcare have voted to accept their employer’s new enterprise agreement offer, with 74 per cent voting in favour. The agreement will now progress to the Fair Work Commission for approval.
While not meeting all members’ claims around staffing, the proposed EBA offers wage parity with their public sector colleagues by 1 October this year, in addition to other key improvements.
Unfortunately for their colleagues at Epworth Medical Imaging (EMI) – a separate entity owned Sonic Healthcare – their employer has not been as forthcoming. To progress negotiations, members have escalated protected industrial action this week to four-hour work stoppages.
Our members at EMI aren’t asking for much: they want a lead apron allowance (like the $9 per shift allowance their nursing colleagues at Epworth Healthcare won) and 4.5 per cent wage increases per year for four years.
ANMF believes that a 4.5 per cent per year wage increase and a lead apron allowance for our radiology nurse members in the medical imaging industry is not too much to ask. Particularly when you consider that this is becoming a private acute industry standard that compensates nurses in recognition of the physical toll wearing an apron of up to 10kg each shift can have.
The Branch is backing our EMI members in their campaign to secure these very modest asks.
