Update on ART/IVF Regulation: Rapid Review Outcomes and Next Steps
Following the conclusion of the National Rapid review into the ART and IVF sectors, the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released the Victorian Government’s Rapid Review of Assisted Reproductive Technology and In Vitro Fertilisation Regulation and Accreditation in Australia (September 2025).
This marks a pivotal moment for our field and for the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ).
Our sector can be proud of the safety system we built when government would not act, and we can be clear-eyed that the time has come for nationally consistent laws and independent oversight. FSANZ will continue to ensure that patients, families, and clinicians remain at the centre of these reforms.
Building on FSANZ’s 10-Year Fertility Roadmap
In November 2024, FSANZ released Australia’s first 10-Year Fertility Roadmap, a sector-wide framework commissioned by the Society. A central recommendation was to shift accreditation from self-regulation to an independent national body, embedding transparency, national coordination, and stronger enforcement. The Rapid Review echoes this call. Ministers have agreed that from 2027, the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care will independently accredit ART services against updated national standards. This step aligns with our roadmap vision of government-led oversight supported by sector knowledge.
Where more is needed
While the Review recognises the need for stronger oversight, FSANZ remains deeply concerned that maintaining the current patchwork of state and territory laws and separate donor registries will continue to put patients at risk and undermine public confidence.
We have consistently argued that two reforms are essential to long-term viability and sustainability:
A single, nationally consistent law regulating ART and IVF
A national donor register
These pillars were highlighted in our Roadmap and remain critical. Recent announcements, while welcome, only move partway towards this vision, stopping short of committing to these core reforms.
This period of reform cannot be looked back on as a period of lost opportunity. We continue to advocate to all Health Ministers for a single, nationally consistent law and a national donor register.
What happens from here?
The Reproductive Accreditation Technology Committee’s record of safety remains a strong foundation. The committee’s clinical expertise must be embedded in any future model.
FSANZ will continue to press for reforms that combine government leadership with sector knowledge.
A hybrid co-regulation system, anchored in enforceable legislation and informed by fertility scientists, doctors, researchers, nurses, consumers and counsellors in reproductive medicine, remains the most balanced way forward.
Beyond Australia – New Zealand and APAC
In New Zealand, ART regulation follows a distinct framework. However, developments in Australia will influence expectations across the Tasman, and FSANZ will continue to engage closely with NZ stakeholders to support alignment.
Across APAC, Australia and New Zealand’s leadership in safe, successful ART/IVF has set global benchmarks. Moving towards independent oversight and national consistency strengthens our role as a regional exemplar.
Should you have any questions in relation to these ongoing developments, please contact us for further information: office@fertilitysociety.com.au