It’s an honour to begin my term as President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists at such a critical juncture for our profession. Congress 2025 was a fantastic opportunity to connect, reflect and set our sights on the future, and I’m proud to say the work hasn’t slowed down since.  

We’ve since launched our updated Supervisor Handbook to support clinical excellence and leadership in training, and continued engaging across all of our jurisdictions to advocate for the systems and support our communities need. 

In South Australia, that advocacy has helped deliver the country’s first dedicated Psychiatry Workforce Plan, a roadmap we hope other jurisdictions will follow. Meanwhile in Aotearoa, the recently delivered NZ Budget was a pivotal opportunity to renew calls for stronger investment in specialist mental health services and a clear plan to grow the psychiatry workforce.  

Here in Australia, we’ll continue engaging with Minister Mark Butler in this new term of the federal Labor Government to ensure psychiatrists remain central to national mental health reform, while work remains underway to highlight the vital role our profession plays in our mental health system in the public discourse. 

Across the College, our members, committees, sections, networks and faculties — along with our internal teams in policy, advocacy, education and membership engagement — are all focused on turning our priorities into meaningful progress. It’s work I look forward to continuing and strengthening as President, in partnership with everyone, in the months ahead. 

Most importantly, as we mark National Reconciliation Week this week from 27 May to 3 June, I invite you to reflect on this year’s theme – Bridging Now to Next. It is a reminder of the ongoing connection between past, present and future, and calls on all of us to step forward together, to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us. 

For more than 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have cared for these lands, guided by deep knowledge, cultural strength, and a strong sense of collective responsibility. Reconciliation is about recognising this enduring connection and working together to build a future grounded in truth, respect, and healing. 

As a College, we demonstrate our dedication to reconciliation through the actions and priorities identified in our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-26. It emphasises our commitment to increase meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and by doing so, address the barriers for these communities in accessing mental health care. 

Several initiatives are currently underway across many areas of the College, translating our intentions to actions. These efforts span education, events, partnerships, and community engagement – each contributing to a more inclusive mental health system.  

We are redesigning our consultation processes for policy development to ensure they are culturally respectful and inclusive of community input, supporting policies that promote health equity and reconciliation outcomes. Educational efforts are expanding through the Psychiatry Interest Forum, where we are developing and delivering content on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander approaches to mental health and wellbeing. We are also working with local Branches to adopt an event guide that formalises the inclusion of cultural protocols at College events. 

We continue to find ways to amplify reconciliation by collaborating with external stakeholders, including attending the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association meetings, offering space in our First Nations newsletter to highlight Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education Network research, and contributing to Australian Medical Students' Association’s ‘People of PIF’ profiles.  

Earlier this month, at our annual Congress, the RANZCP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Committee met in person. Their work is currently focused on enhancing the recruitment process for community member roles; reviewing mandatory cultural training modules to ensure their continued relevance; refining Indigenous mental health modules in the fellowship program; and exploring strategies to grow the Indigenous mental health workforce. 

This focus on inclusion, listening and learning is echoed in other areas as well. At Congress, we launched the RANZCP Lived and Living Experience Strategy marking an important milestone for our College. Developed in close collaboration with people with lived and living experience, this strategy reaffirms our commitment to embedding their voices and insights into all facets of the College’s work. It sets out 41 foundational actions spanning education, governance, advocacy, clinical practice, and policy development, giving us a clear framework to ensure our work continues to reflect the diverse realities of the people we serve. 

Together, these efforts reflect a broader cultural focus within the College – one that seeks to ensure our mental health system is more inclusive and equitable for all. And as we move forward, we do so with the vision that every individual has the same opportunity to access culturally safe, high-quality mental health care. 

Dr Astha Tomar
RANZCP President