The Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) acknowledges the Victorian Government’s decision to impose additional restrictions on Monash IVF following two serious incidents earlier this year. These events have understandably shaken public confidence and caused distress for the families affected. 

FSANZ stresses that the current national accreditation and licensing system, administered by the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC), offers only limited regulatory levers. These constraints reduce the ability of authorities to respond swiftly and proportionately when concerns arise.  

Through our 10-Year Fertility Roadmap, FSANZ has consistently advocated for a modernised regulatory framework - one that includes strengthened powers such as conditional licensing, enforceable improvement plans, and clearer, nationally consistent oversight mechanisms.

Australia’s IVF and assisted reproductive treatment services remain among the safest and most effective globally. The community rightly expects robust safeguards, and the regulatory system must be equipped to maintain and reinforce those standards.

In September, FSANZ welcomed the Ministers’ endorsement of a referral to the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to review relevant legislation with a view to modernising and achieving greater consistency across states. We will continue working closely with governments across Australia to strengthen the framework governing fertility care. Patient safety and the high standards of fertility care for which Australia is internationally recognised remain our highest priorities.

Attributable to Dr Petra Wale, President of the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand