After almost 24 years as the Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Victorian Branch), Lisa Fitzpatrick has retired effective 5pm Friday 4 July 2025.
Branch Council has appointed Assistant Secretary Maddy Harradence as Secretary. ANMF Maternity Services Officer Nicole Allan has been appointed into the Assistant Secretary role vacated by Ms Harradence. ANMF Professional Officer Sam Casey was appointed Assistant Secretary following the retirement of Paul Gilbert earlier this year on 21 February. An internal election will be held later this year if required.
Ms Fitzpatrick qualified as a registered nurse from Prince Henry’s Hospital in 1983 and completed postgraduate studies in education and advanced nursing. She was a Job Rep during the 1986 50-day nurses strike, held the Branch President position between 1991 and 1996 and later joined the union as a recruitment officer and then an industrial organiser.
The union had approximately 32,000 members when Ms Fitzpatrick was first elected in 2001. Today the union is more than 111,000-members strong.
Ms Fitzpatrick worked with six Assistant Secretaries: Jan Brownrigg, Yvonne Chaperon, Paul Gilbert, Pip Carew, Maddy Harradence and Sam Casey; three ANMF (Vic Branch) Presidents: Ged Kearney (Cowin), Clare McGinness and Maree Burgess and eight Victorian health ministers.
Her retirement follows Assistant Secretary Paul Gilbert who retired earlier this year after 16 years. Paul became an ANMF Job Rep as an enrolled nurse working at Bendigo Health in 1989. He joined the union two years later as an industrial organiser, then a research officer before becoming an industrial officer and then senior industrial officer. He was first elected as Assistant Secretary in 2009.
Ms Fitzpatrick said, “I’ve worked with thousands of strong and courageous ANMF members, elected officials and staff who all worked as one to make nursing, midwifery and personal care work better for this generation and the next.
“Today the community has a far better understanding that nurses’ and midwives’ skills, knowledge and experience saves lives and improves lives. There is always more work to do.
“My hope is that the community understands that the unique way Victorian public hospitals are staffed – through legislated mandated minimum nurse/midwife patient ratios – prevents systemic understaffing, protects the nursing and midwifery budget and protects patients. We have ratios because nurses and midwives refused to give them up when earlier governments thought we didn’t need them.”
During Lisa Fitzpatrick’s leadership, the ANMF (Vic Branch):
- Successfully protected nurse/midwife patient ratios (mandated minimum nursing and midwifery staffing levels) in the 2004, 2007 and 2011-12 public sector nurses and midwives enterprise agreement against Labor and Liberal state governments.
- Stopped the Baillieu/Napthine Liberal Victorian government from replacing nurses and midwives with unqualified health assistants during the 2011-12 EBA negotiations.
- Helped to establish the free, independent and confidential Nursing and Midwifery Health Program Victoria.
- Secured nurse/midwife patient ratio legislation with the Andrews Labor Government passing the Safe Patient Care Act in 2015 and further new and improved ratios in three legislative amendments implemented between 2019 and 2023 and 2025 and 2026.
- Secured the introduction of the nursing and midwifery student employment programs – the Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing (RUSON) and Registered Undergraduate Student of Midwifery (RUSOM). These programs support student retention and improve the transition to working nurse or midwife.
- Secured an eight-year wages deal for public sector nurses and midwives in 2016 to reach net pay parity with NSW nurses and midwives by 2019.
- Secured a 28.4 per cent (compounded) pay increase for public sector nurses and midwives by the end of the 2024-28 enterprise agreement and more than 70 improvements to allowances and conditions. This EBA is now the benchmark agreement for all ANMF’s negotiations for Victorian nurses and midwives.
- Purchased the property at 535 Elizabeth Street in 2013, and built its current headquarters.
- Purchased metropolitan and regional holiday accommodation in Victoria as a member benefit.
New leadership bios
Maddy Harradence ─ Ms Harradence studied her Bachelor of Nursing in NSW and moved to Victoria to work with ratios in 2009. She completed her graduate year at St Vincent’s public hospital and worked in haematology, oncology and palliative care, rotated through ICU and then worked in the emergency department until 2017. She campaigned as an ANMF member in the grueling nine-month 2011-12 ‘Respect our Work’ EBA public sector campaign which stopped the Baillieu/Napthine government from replacing nurses and midwives with unqualified health assistants. She became an ANMF Job Rep in 2012 and was a Branch Councillor between 2013 and 2017. She joined the union in 2018 as an industrial organiser covering regional and metropolitan areas. She was first elected Assistant Secretary in 2021.
Sam Casey ─ Ms Casey completed her graduate year at St Vincent’s public hospital in 2013, followed by an advance practice year. She completed postgraduate studies in clinical nursing (intensive care) and continued to work in ICU and in education. She became a student member in 2012 and an ANMF Job Rep in 2016. Two years later she joined the Branch as an industrial organiser representing members in private acute hospitals, private aged care and a major public health service. From 2021 as a professional officer she covered key portfolios of digital health and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency.
Nicole Allan ─ Ms Allan began her hospital training at St Vincent’s public hospital 1987 and has worked as a nurse in the private and public sector initially in medical nursing, oncology and palliative care. She completed her postgraduate midwifery studies in 2002 and worked as a midwife at Dandenong and Casey Hospitals. She joined the Branch as an industrial organiser in 2009 and became the Maternity Services Officer in 2019.
Media inquiries: ANMF (Vic Branch) Robyn Asbury – M: 0417 523 252 or rasbury@anmfvic.asn.au
