News

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First winners announced in Faculty Council elections

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As the 2026 RACGP Faculty Council elections progress, winners of the uncontested electorates have been announced.
 
Across the college’s 11 Faculty Councils – representing all states and territories, as well as Specific Interests, GPs in Training, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and Rural – 30 winners have been elected unopposed:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Faculty: Dr Angela Forrest, Dr Clare Frawley, Dr Alyssa Vass
• GPs in Training Faculty: Dr Allyce Counsell
• New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory Faculty: Dr Charbel Badr, Dr Chris Dickie, Dr Corin Miller
• Northern Territory Faculty: Dr Melanie Matthews, Dr Louise Fish, Dr Dana Fitzsimmons, Dr Emma Kennedy
• Rural Faculty: Dr Rodney Omond, Dr Konrad Kangru, Dr Christie Rodda, Dr Michael Hurley
• Specific Interests Faculty: Dr Nick Cooling, Dr John Crimmins, Dr Elizabeth Elliott, Dr Kerry Hancock, Dr Timothy Jones, Professor Glynn Kelly, Dr Anthony Marinucci, Dr Mark Mellor, Dr Tamara Nation, Dr Tracey Purnell, Dr Tim Senior, Dr Wei May Su, Professor Nick Zwar
• Tasmania Faculty: Dr Timothy Jones, Dr Divya Singh

For Rural Faculty Council member Dr Rodney Omond, this election marks an impressive 15 years on the council.
 
It has been a fruitful time for advocacy for the Rural faculty, its most recent achievement being the approval of Rural Generalism for specialist recommendation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
 
‘I was part of the team and contributed along the way, and a lot of people were involved, but it was a major consideration regularly by the Rural Council,’ Dr Omond told newsGP.
 
The other key achievement has been elevating the profile of rural and remote GPs by the college.
 
‘We did have a bit of an invisibility problem a decade ago, but I think that really has improved now, and the college as a whole, right from the board to senior management and down, recognises how important the rural-remote sectors are,’ he said.
 
‘And the fact that between a fifth and a quarter of our members and fellows actually work in the rural sector, not in MM1.’
 
A key advocacy goal for the Rural Faculty’s coming term is to gain recognition of non-procedural Rural Generalists and their appropriate remuneration, such as those with paediatric, mental health or palliative care qualifications, says Dr Omond.
 
‘They need to be adequately reimbursed for that extra knowledge and skill they have,’ he said.
 
Voting remains open for candidates in contested electorates until Thursday 17 September at 12.00 pm (AEST).
 
Successful candidates will be announced the following day on Friday, 18 September.
 
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Faculty Council elections GPs in Training RACGP Specific Interests

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