The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) has released information on the new scheme subject to the passage of Bill C in each jurisdiction of Australia.

Legislation has now been passed in Queensland that establishes a national registration scheme for 10 health professions including psychology. Legislation is being introduced in all States and Territories to adopt this scheme from 1 July 2010 so that from that point all registrants are included in the national scheme.

What happens on 1 July 2010?
If you are a registered practitioner in your jurisdiction on 30 June 2010, you will automatically be registered under the new scheme from 1 July 2010.

Prior to commencement of the new legislation, you will be personally advised of how your current registration translates into registration under the new scheme (including how any endorsements placed on your current registration translate). It is expected that this will occur around April 2010.

If you currently have any conditions placed on your registration or have made undertakings to the Board relating to your registration, these will be carried forward to your registration under the new scheme.

How are registration renewal dates and registration fees affected by the new legislation?
During the first year of operation of the new scheme, all registrants across Australia in each profession will be brought into the same registration cycle. The new registation renewal date that will apply for psychologists is 30 November.

The registration fee to apply for each profession will be set by the national boards over the coming months. Information on new fee levels will be available well in advance of 1 July 2010.

There will be no change for you until the expiry of your existing registration after 1 July 2010 (i.e. first expiry of registration under the new scheme for psychologists in South Australia is 30 September 2010). The new fee levels will apply from that point. Your first registration under the new scheme may be shorter or longer than a 12-month period to bring you into the new renewal cycle. Your registration fee will be adjusted to take account of the shorter or longer period.

If you are currently registered in a number of jurisdictions, you will only have one registration under the new scheme. The fee for your first renewal under the new scheme will be adjusted according to the registration with the latest expiry date.

Further information
Information will be mailed directly to all registrants in around April 2010, about the transition into the new scheme as it affects them. The South Australian Psychological Board will also continue to provide information to its registrants regarding transition to the new scheme. Regular information updates are provided by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and the national boards on the AHPRA web site which can be accessed at http://www.ahpra.gov.au