One of the greatest privileges of serving as President is the opportunity to think not only about the challenges facing psychiatry today, but also about the future of our profession and the College that will serve future generations of psychiatrists.

The organisation which is now called Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has served our profession for almost 80 years. Generations of psychiatrists have built an organisation that advances education and training, advocates for our patients and communities, and provides leadership on mental health policy across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our responsibility now is to ensure the College remains equally effective, relevant and trusted for the generations that follow.

For that reason, governance reform has become my foremost priority as President and one of the most significant strategic projects currently underway within the College. Governance matters because the institutions we build ultimately shape how we think, act and lead. "We shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us" is a saying. The same can be said of our organisations, as I was reminded of by one of our psychiatrists Dr Mark Ryan on a LinkedIn post. The governance framework we create today will help shape the culture, effectiveness and impact of our College long into the future.

The College has evolved considerably over eight decades. While this has brought many strengths, members, trainees, leaders and staff have also told us that aspects of our governance have become increasingly complex. Independent reviews, member feedback and the Australian Medical Council accreditation process have similarly highlighted opportunities to strengthen accountability, clarify decision-making and better align our structures with the outcomes we seek to achieve.

Importantly, this work is not about governance for governance's sake, nor simply reducing committees or redrawing organisational charts. It is about ensuring that the College is equipped to deliver meaningful impact for members, trainees, patients and communities.

At the heart of the College's work are the thousands of hours voluntarily contributed by members serving on Boards, committees, faculties, sections, networks, branches, working groups and advisory bodies. These members bring expertise, passion and commitment to advancing psychiatry, improving mental health care, supporting trainees, developing policy, shaping education and strengthening our profession.

Much of what the College achieves is possible because members are willing to contribute their time and expertise beyond their already demanding clinical, academic and leadership roles. Their contribution is one of the College's greatest strengths and remains central to who we are, what we do and what we stand for as a College.

Governance reform is therefore not about diminishing the role of committees. Quite the opposite. It is about ensuring that the time, expertise and goodwill contributed by members are directed towards work that is meaningful, strategic and impactful. It is about supporting committees to do their best work, reducing unnecessary administrative burden and ensuring our structures enable delivery rather than process.

The Board established the Governance Reform Taskforce in late 2025 to guide this work. I would particularly like to acknowledge and thank Associate Professor Alex Cockram, who has chaired the Taskforce since its establishment.

Alex brings exceptional experience in governance reform, organisational leadership and board effectiveness. Her thoughtful leadership, strategic insight and unwavering commitment have been instrumental in progressing this work, and the College has been extraordinarily fortunate to benefit from her expertise.

I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of the other Taskforce members, including Dr Alan Altham, Professor Megan Galbally, Professor Richard Newton, Associate Professor Hiran Thabrew, Dr Angelo Virgona, Professor Andrew Way, Mr Damian Ferrie and Ms Felicity Loxton, together with the Governance Reform Working Party and College staff supporting the project.

At its heart, governance reform is about trust, accountability and impact. It is about ensuring that the College remains a strong, credible and effective organisation capable of delivering on its purpose and strategic priorities for decades to come.

Members will continue to be central to this work through consultation and engagement activities over the coming year. A key milestone will be the presentation of a proposed governance framework at Congress 2027 following extensive consultation and refinement.

As President, I firmly believe this work will be one of the most important investments we make in the future of our College. By strengthening our governance today, we are strengthening our capacity to lead tomorrow.

While strengthening our own foundations is essential, so too is continuing the College's leadership role in advocating for people living with mental illness and for better mental health systems across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

This week, many members will have seen the ABC Four Corners investigation examining the police treatment of people during mental health crises. The footage, including that of a woman living with schizophrenia and experiencing a psychotic episode at the time, was confronting and deeply distressing.

The report has highlighted longstanding concerns about access to specialist mental health expertise during emergency responses. As psychiatrists, we know that people living with severe mental illness are far more likely to experience violence and victimisation than to perpetrate harm. Responses that do not adequately account for the impact of mental illness can contribute to further trauma.

While co-response models such as the Police Ambulance Clinical Early Response (PACER) have demonstrated value, access remains inconsistent across New South Wales. The issues highlighted also reflect broader pressures across Australia's mental health system, where police are frequently called upon to respond to situations that are fundamentally health crises.

The College is calling on the NSW Government to review current police training and response models while accelerating investment in evidence-based, health-led crisis responses. Strengthening crisis care requires greater investment in accessible and timely mental health assessment, clinician-led responses and community treatment services.

In New Zealand, the College has continued its advocacy through Tū Te Akaaka Roa and the Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry. Recent work has included submissions on the Policing Amendment Bill and responses to Budget 2026, advocating for stronger safeguards for vulnerable communities, sustained investment in mental health services and continued focus on equity. I thank Associate Professor Hiran Thabrew and colleagues for their leadership in this important work.

These issues demonstrate the importance of a strong, credible and influential College. Whether advocating for better crisis responses, addressing inequities in mental healthcare or helping shape future policy, we will continue to use our voice to promote evidence-based, compassionate and person-centred approaches to mental health care.

Finally, cybersecurity remains an important operational priority for the College. Earlier this week, our security systems detected suspicious activity within part of our IT infrastructure. The College IT team acted immediately to contain the issue, engaged specialist cyber security experts and commenced a thorough investigation. The incident appears contained, with no evidence of member or stakeholder data being compromised. As a precautionary measure, some website functions, including payments and events, have been temporarily restricted and are expected to be restored in the coming days. We thank members for their patience and understanding while this work is completed.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the College, to our profession and to the communities we serve.