Renewal fee rebate for parental and other leave now in effect

A 30% annual renewal fee rebate is now in effect for practitioners taking all forms of leave on the grounds of a protected attribute, Ahpra has announced. It includes disability and carers’ leave. Depending on registration type, Ahpra said the leave fee relief policy will deliver rebates of up to $308, with a wider review of fee policies continuing.

“We have listened to concerns and understand the cost-of-living pressures that practitioners who are parents, are pregnant, or have disability or carer responsibilities can face,” Ahpra CEO Justin Untersteiner said. “Today is an important step in our ongoing process of making registration fee arrangements fairer and more flexible.”

The rebate applies to practitioners who take leave on the grounds of a protected attribute — such as parental leave and certain other forms of leave such as disability and carer’s leave — for at least six continuous months, with practitioners able to claim the rebate at the next renewal — after the six-month period of leave ends. Noting that the timing of annual renewals will vary, it is available for future renewals.

The policy coming into effect follows Ahpra’s establishment of a Parental Leave Review Committee — to consider a range of scenarios of fee relief in response to calls from practitioners. The review is ongoing and backed by comprehensive modelling and consultation with National Boards.

In its announcement, Ahpra also said work has started to improve processes when transitioning between practising and non-practising registration — as the annual cost for this has now been capped. How a pro rata approach to fees can be implemented is being currently looked at as part of a wider review, with it expected to report by November 2025, with recommendations aimed at coming into effect by 1 July 2026.

More information, including the full policy, on fee relief for parental and other types leave is available here, via the Ahpra website.

Image credit: iStock.com/Jacob Wackerhausen