Dietitians Australia extends its congratulations to Prime Minister Albanese and the Labor Party on their return to government for a second term and warmly welcomes returning and newly elected Members of Parliament and Senators.

Dietitians Australia is the peak body for dietetic and nutrition professionals in Australia, representing over 9000 members and is committed to advocating for food and nutrition policies and actions that will advance the health and wellbeing of all Australians.

“We are ready to continue the momentum and work closely with the Government to enable bold food system and health reform in this country,” Dietitians Australia President Dr Fiona Willer said.

“We have been on a precipice of significant healthcare transformation for some time, and we are hopeful we will see swift action on several critical policies and reforms to advance Australians’ health under the new Labor majority Government.

“The new Government has clear recommendations in front of them including from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes Final Report, and the Scope of Practice Final Review Report that must be acted upon to better enable access to nutrition care for Australians who need it most.

“We welcome the historic investments into Medicare and GP access announced during the election campaign. The new Government must also commit to a better path forward for Australians to access the allied healthcare they need, including better access to accredited practising dietitians.

“Nutrition care designed by dietitians saves lives.

"When it comes to chronic conditions, we know that when people receive the nutrition care they need from a dietitian, when they need it, they are less likely to end up in emergency or stuck in hospital for long periods.

Dietitians Australia calls for the opportunity to progress our core priorities for the new Government, including:

• urgently providing more affordable access to dietitians for people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, including specific Medicare-funded services for people with these conditions to see a dietitian for a minimum of 12 visits.
• providing a national guarantee that nutritious meals are provided in early childcare education centres, including an overhaul of the food and nutrition standards for early childhood education and care centres (ECEC) and dedicated funding for dietetic support and services.
• Ensuring the critical nutrition needs of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants are provided for within the scheme, and to increase the price for NDIS therapy supports in line with recent wage increases.

“Dietitians Australia urges the Labor Government to be bold, ensuring the next three years are marked with robust policy reform that improves the nutritional health of all Australians, “Dr Willer said.

 “We look forward to working with the Government, and all elected Members of Parliament and Senators to achieve this vision.