ANMF Federal Assistant Secretary Catelyn Richards. Photo: supplied
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation’s Federal Executive has appointed Catelyn Richards as its new Federal Assistant Secretary.
Catelyn is a registered nurse who began her career in paediatrics in Melbourne at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Originally from Tasmania, she has also worked as an Organiser at the Tasmanian Branch of ANMF. Since 2025 she has been the Federal Office’s Climate Change Officer, working to ensure that nursing and midwifery professionals had a voice in the development and implementation of national climate change policies.
Catelyn said she was honoured to be appointed to the role and working on behalf of the ANMF’s growing 356,000 membership across Australia.
‘It’s a great privilege to be appointed to represent our ANMF member nurses, midwives and carers at the national level.’
‘We know that our nursing and midwifery professions are facing a number of significant challenges, particularly chronic workforce shortages and their unsustainable workloads. But there’s also enormous potential for the ANMF to develop future-facing solutions, which is why I will work hard to ensure our members’ have a voice in helping shape the national health and aged care reform agenda.’
Federal Secretary Annie Butler said Catelyn’s appointment demonstrated the ANMF’s commitment to elevating emerging executive leaders who bring professional insights and forward-thinking vision for the nursing and midwifery workforce.
‘In her time at the ANMF federal office, Catelyn has worked hard in advocating for nurses and midwives and the communities they serve, putting the alarming health impacts of climate back on the national agenda,’ Ms Butler said.
‘As Federal Assistant Secretary, she will join our Executive Leadership Team in helping shape the future of our nursing and midwifery workforce, at a time when there continues to be growing pressures on Australia’s health and aged care system.’
The national ANMF, or Federal Office, coordinates the activities of branches in response to issues of national importance, while each branch responds to issues at a state and territory level and actively represents the industrial and professional interests of members at a local level.
The ANMF is made up of eight branches, each representing the professional, industrial and political interests of nurses, midwives and carers in each state and territory. The national ANMF brings all the branches together, strengthening our voice and increasing our influence at a federal level.
The Branch would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of outgoing Federal ANMF Assistant Secretary Lori-Anne Sharp who held the position between 2017 and 2025. She also represented members on the ANMF (Vic Branch) Council between 2004 and 2017. Lori-Anne was appointed the chief executive officer of the Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia late last year. The Albanese Government established this program, based on the successful Nurses and Midwives Health Program Victoria, to provide independent, confidential and free peer-to-peer counselling and health support to nurses, midwives and nursing and midwifery students across Australia.
Ms Richards’ appointment as Federal Assistant Secretary took effect on 10 February.
