Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington meeting 21–22 June

Dear trainees and Fellows,

The Board has just concluded two very positive and productive days together in Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. It was good to spend time together in person, and particularly valuable to begin our meeting with a day focused on governance, relationships and shared learning.

Kōtahitanga Governance Day

Our first day was devoted to the Kōtahitanga Governance Day, attended by Board members alongside members of our Māori and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health governance groups.

Delivered in partnership with the Institute of Directors New Zealand, the day brought together kaupapa Māori with contemporary governance perspectives. It was an opportunity to strengthen relationships, learn from one another and think about what good governance looks like in practice across our College.

The discussions reinforced the importance of partnership, inclusion, cultural understanding and, above all, working together. We are grateful to everyone who contributed so openly and generously.

The Board meeting

Over the following day, the Board worked through a substantial agenda covering the College's future, our members and trainees, and the continued strengthening of our governance.

Financial sustainability and risk

The Board reviewed the College's financial performance and was pleased to note a positive operating result and continued financial stability. We also considered our broader risk environment, including an internal audit and information security.

Clearer expectations of Directors

We progressed a new Statement of Expectations for Directors, responding to recommendations arising from the SafeWork NSW Improvement Notice.

The Statement is intended to make expectations around behaviour, accountability and professional conduct clearer and more explicit to ensure different views can be expressed and debated constructively, while maintaining a safe, respectful and effective governance environment.

Listening to our members

We also had an important discussion about how the College responds when significant concerns are raised by members, including when members are questioning their ongoing relationship with the College.

The Board recognised the importance of listening to understand different perspectives responding thoughtfully and making sure the views of Fellows and trainees genuinely inform our decisions and future direction.

The future of LIFT (Learning, Innovation and Forward Thinking)

The Board approved a new three-year roadmap for the LIFT event series to replace RACP Congress, reaffirming its place as one of our main educational programs for members. The pilot LIFT series has already doubled the number of members participating, compared with the last RACP Congress in 2024.

The next phase of LIFT will continue creating opportunities for further clinical learning, professional growth, collaboration and connection across specialties both in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. We want the LIFT program to be a key mechanism for bringing members together in their professional development.

Governance and accreditation

The Board also noted a new Australian Medical Council accreditation condition relating to governance.

We take this seriously. The Board discussed the work already underway to strengthen our governance arrangements and ensure we continue to meet the expectations of the AMC and other regulators. We will continue being open with members about this work and our progress.

Looking ahead

We came away from our time in Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington encouraged by both the quality of the discussions and the spirit in which they took place.

There is still important work ahead of us. But there is also a strong commitment around the Board table to strengthening our governance, supporting our members and trainees, building a positive organisational culture and ensuring the College is well placed for the future.

Thank you, as always, to the many trainees and Fellows who continue contributing their time, expertise and perspectives to the College.

Good wishes,