What would registration really cost you?
In June 2026 South Australia scrapped mandatory registration for social workers, blaming the cost of a registration fee. That fee was never set. On the evidence from Ahpra, the UK and New Zealand, a national fee would probably cost most social workers between $90 and $322 a year after tax, or $1.73 to $6.19 a week. Even before tax, that's less than the $814 many already pay for voluntary AASW membership.
Did the ASU really call for the scheme to end?
Yes. The Department for Child Protection's statement is accurate about the ASU's position. But the cost argument rested on a fee that was never set.
What happened
In June 2026 the SA Government decided not to proceed with mandatory registration for more than 4,000 social workers. Child Protection Minister Alice Rolls cited cost-of-living pressures and "a new registration fee" (ABC News; DCP).
The ASU's position is confirmed
ASU SA/NT Branch Secretary Abbie Spencer welcomed the decision, saying it "recognises the significant pressures already facing the sector". We couldn't find a published ASU submission setting out the three reasons DCP lists. Those reasons are DCP's summary of the union's view.
The fee was never decided
The Social Workers Registration Board's fees page says the fee structure "is still under development" and lists no amounts (SWRB). The ABC reported only that it was "understood" to be "in the many hundreds of dollars". The Board also planned a 50% hardship discount, and said fees would be tax deductible.
"No comparable scheme interstate"
True. No other state registers social workers. That's an argument for a national scheme, not against registration.
Many disagreed
The AASW, the Public Service Association and the Health Services Union expressed disappointment. So did Belinda Valentine, grandmother of Chloe Valentine, whose 2012 death led the coroner to recommend registration (AASW).
Bottom line: the scheme was scrapped over a cost that nobody had actually published.
Many social workers already pay $814 a year
And it's voluntary. With no register, AASW eligibility and membership act as the profession's stand-in credential for many employers.
| AASW category (2026, incl. GST) | Annual | Early bird (May) |
|---|---|---|
| Member | $814 | $740 |
| Member, reduced income (under $69,836) | $540 | $491 |
| Graduate | $417 | $379 |
| Retired | $281 | $261 |
| Student | $57 | $57 |
Source: AASW membership FAQs. Paying quarterly adds $12.50 per instalment. The Accredited Mental Health Social Worker credential needed for Medicare work has its own fee on top.
So the choice isn't "registration fee versus nothing". For many social workers it's a registration fee alongside or instead of the $814 they already pay for recognition.
Mandatory registration costs $0, because it doesn't exist
South Australia
The Social Workers Registration Act 2021 passed in December 2021. The government allocated $4.7 million to set up the scheme, which was delayed and then abandoned in June 2026 (Monash Lens). The fee structure was never published.
Nationally
The AASW has sought inclusion in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, run by Ahpra, since 2012. Health ministers decided on 7 October 2016 not to add social work, without publishing reasons (communiqué). Commentators describe the government's view as a "low risk of harm" (Monash Lens).
Scale
About 47,400 people work as social workers in Australia. Under Ahpra, a profession's fee depends largely on how many practitioners share the costs, so a large workforce would be expected to keep the fee down.
Most of our neighbours pay far less than $814
Mandatory national registration fees through Ahpra, 2025/26.
Source: Ahpra, National Boards and Ahpra announce fees for 2025/26 (18 September 2025). Fees differ where the principal place of practice is NSW. 2026/27 fees hadn't been announced at the time of writing.
Two things drive a profession's fee: how many people share the cost, and how many complaints the regulator handles. Psychology has a similar-sized workforce to social work but a higher fee, partly because of complaint volumes. So a national social work fee would most likely land between occupational therapy ($132) and psychology ($473). Both are below the $814 AASW fee.
What social workers pay overseas
Every UK nation makes social work registration mandatory, and every one charges less than A$235 a year. New Zealand is the outlier at about A$613, because a small workforce carries the whole cost.
| Body | Mandatory? | Annual fee | Approx. A$ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Work England | Yes | £122 (Dec 2026 to Nov 2027) | $230 |
| Scottish Social Services Council | Yes | £80, rising in steps to £120 by 2029/30 | $151–$226 |
| Social Care Wales | Yes | £80 | $151 |
| NI Social Care Council | Yes | £65 (a rise has been proposed) | $123 |
| SWRB New Zealand | Yes | NZ$540 practising certificate + NZ$219 disciplinary levy = NZ$759 | $613 |
| BASW (UK association) | No | £307.20 (qualified 5+ years); £220.20 (under 5 years) | $579 / $415 |
| AASW (Australian association) | No | $814 | $814 |
Converted at £1 = A$1.885 (25 September 2026) and NZ$1 = A$0.8075 (24 September 2026), from Pound Sterling Live. NZ fees include GST.
Three lessons for Australia
Regulator and association are separate
UK social workers pay each separately. Even combined, a senior BASW member in England pays about A$809, less than AASW membership alone.
Fees do rise
Social Work England's fee rose 33%, from £90 to £120, in December 2025, and Scotland's will rise 50% by 2030. Any Australian scheme needs fee caps written into its design.
Size matters
New Zealand's fee is high because a small workforce funds a stand-alone regulator. Joining Ahpra, with its shared infrastructure and about 47,400 potential registrants, would avoid that trap.
What you'd really pay
For most social workers, a tax deduction cuts about a third off the sticker price. A fee at the psychology level ($473) would cost $6.19 a week after tax.
- Renewal fees are deductible. You can claim renewing an annual practising certificate, membership or accreditation "if you need it to work in your field" (ATO).
- Your first registration isn't. The ATO treats the initial cost as a cost of starting to earn income, so only renewals count.
- AASW and union fees are fully deductible as subscriptions to professional associations and unions (ATO).
- The new $1,000 standard deduction (from 1 July 2026) lets workers claim up to $1,000 of work expenses without receipts, and union and association fees can still be claimed on top (ATO). The ATO doesn't say whether a registration renewal also sits outside the $1,000. If it doesn't, the saving only applies when your total work expenses exceed $1,000. Social workers who pay for supervision, CPD and car costs often will.
- If your employer pays or reimburses the fee, you can't claim it, and it costs you nothing.
| Fee scenario | Sticker price | Tax saving | After-tax cost | Per week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational therapy level (Ahpra) | $132 | $42 | $90 | $1.73 |
| Nursing level (Ahpra) | $193 | $62 | $131 | $2.52 |
| Physiotherapy level (Ahpra) | $211 | $68 | $143 | $2.76 |
| Psychology level (Ahpra) | $473 | $151 | $322 | $6.19 |
| New Zealand level (SWRB) | $613 | $196 | $417 | $8.02 |
| Likely national social work fee (between the OT and psychology levels) | $132–$473 | $42–$151 | $90–$322 | $1.73–$6.19 |
Tax rates: SuperGuide. These are illustrations, not advice. Individual circumstances vary, so check with the ATO or a registered tax agent.
$1.73 to $6.19 a week
Cost was the reason given for dropping SA's scheme, but the numbers don't support it as a deal-breaker. A national scheme under Ahpra could plausibly charge $132 to $473 a year. After tax, that's $90 to $322 a year, or $1.73 to $6.19 a week, and less than many social workers already pay the AASW for voluntary recognition.
Sources
All pages accessed 26 September 2026. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.
- Update on Social Workers Registration Scheme, SA Department for Child Protection
- Child protection advocates slam decision to scrap SA social worker registration scheme, ABC News, 23 June 2026
- AASW responds to SA Government decision, AASW, 20 June 2026
- Protecting our most vulnerable: does Australia need a social worker registration scheme?, Monash Lens, 6 August 2026
- Fees and FAQs, Social Workers Registration Board SA
- Position statement: registration of social workers, AASW
- Membership FAQs (2026 fees), AASW
- National Boards and Ahpra announce fees for 2025/26, Ahpra, 18 September 2025
- Registration fees and fee increase for 2025 to 2026, Social Work England
- Consultation response to SSSC fee proposals, BASW
- Registration fees, Social Care Wales; Registration fee, NISCC
- Membership fees, BASW
- Fees and funding and 2024 fee decision, SWRB New Zealand
- ATO: professional memberships and accreditations; union fees and subscriptions; standard deduction
- Australian income tax rates 2026-27, SuperGuide
- GBP/AUD exchange rate, Pound Sterling Live