The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) acknowledges the release of the 2025 AFP Staff
Survey, which is now available on the AFP’s website1.
This year’s survey provides valuable insight into the current experiences, views, and challenges of AFP appointees. It offers a clearer picture of what is working and where there are serious issues that still need to be addressed. For the AFPA, these results are a crucial part of holding AFP leadership to account and advocating for a healthier, more supportive workplace for our members.
AFPA President Alex Caruana said that the survey results suggest persistent concerns regarding senior leadership communication, excessive bureaucracy, and inadequate support for the well-being of AFP appointees.
“These themes have come through strongly in previous surveys, particularly the 2022 results, and it’s
clear they haven’t been appropriately addressed.
“This survey is another reminder that, while our members stay committed to their work and their service to the community, the organisation and government still need to do more to support them in return,” Mr Caruana said.
The AFPA believes that many of the frustrations highlighted in the 2025 AFP Staff Survey results could have been avoided.
During the most recent enterprise agreement bargaining process, the AFPA raised these same issues with both the AFP and the Federal Government, calling for stronger recognition of frontline challenges, a fair pay outcome, better wellbeing measures, and meaningful reform. These same issues were also brought to the government’s attention during the campaign period for the 2025 federal election.
Mr Caruana said that if the AFP and the Government had listened to AFPA members and followed the advice of the AFPA during enterprise agreement bargaining, we’re confident these survey results would look different.
“All of these results align with what our data indicated when we surveyed AFPA members, so the numbers we see in the 2025 AFP Staff Survey aren’t surprising to us.
“We now see a missed opportunity, being the enterprise agreement to reset the relationship between AFP leadership and the workforce,” Mr Caruana said.
The AFPA does acknowledge areas of the survey show progress, whether in employee engagement or cultural improvements, but stresses that real progress won’t come from isolated wins. It will come from listening, acting, and investing in the people who keep the AFP running, being its hardworking workforce.
The survey results also highlight significant concerns regarding health, well-being, and the availability of support services to AFP appointees. Many members reported feeling unsupported when managing stress, mental health challenges, or the long-term impacts of their work. These findings point to a clear need for stronger, more accessible wellbeing programs across the organisation.
The AFPA maintains that an AFP Blue Card, similar to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ White Card’, would go a long way in addressing this gap.
Mr Caruana said that policing is a tough job, it’s demanding, often dangerous, and comes with a high personal cost, and unlike the military, there is no recognition from the government of the sacrifice AFP appointees make and the toll policing takes on a person.
“An AFP Blue Card would go a long way to supporting AFP appointees, especially in retirement. Retired and former AFP appointees are often left behind once they leave the organisation.
“The survey showed that only 50% of the workforce thinks their health is positive. That’s a frightening number and the AFP and government need to be concerned and do better to support AFP
appointees,” Mr Caruana said.
The AFPA is now calling on the AFP and the Federal Government to address what isn’t working and build a better future for all past, present, and future AFP appointees.
“That can only happen if decision-makers genuinely listen and act.
“The survey has made it clear, and AFP appointees have spoken. Now it’s time for the organisation and
government to respond,” Mr Caruana said.
Media Contact:
AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au
1https://www.afp.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-05/2025-Staff-Survey-Results.pdf
