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27 Aug 2014
The Optometry Board of Australia has announced the registration fee for optometrists for 2014/15.
The Board has announced that the national registration fee for optometrists for 2014/15 has been reduced.
The Board has reduced the registration fee to $365, which is $30 less than in the previous year. The new fee will apply from 9 September 2014 and cover the registration period for most practitioners of 1 December 2014 to 30 November 2015. The fee for optometrists whose principal place of practice is NSW will be $337.1
Board Chair, Mr Colin Waldron, said that the Board was able to lower its registration fees while still fulfilling its obligation under the National Law to regulate the profession and limit financial pressure on practitioners.
‘The Board reviewed its fees and considered that it was possible to reduce the registration fee without affecting its regulatory capacity. We can continue to ensure that optometrists are adequately qualified and experienced, and administer national registration standards, policies, codes and guidelines to guide the profession,’ Mr Waldron said.
Some of the National Boards, in the national scheme regulating health practitioners in Australia, have continued to see an increase in notifications (complaints) over the past year. As the number, complexity and cost of these matters can never be accurately forecast, the Boards will continue to keep fees under close review to ensure careful financial management.
A fee schedule, including the fee arrangements for practitioners whose principal place of practice is NSW, will be published on the National Board’s website.
More detailed information about the Board’s financial operations will be outlined in the Health Profession Agreement between the Board and AHPRA for 2014/15, which will be published on the website soon. This agreement sets out the partnership between the Board and AHPRA, and the services AHPRA will provide to support the Board to regulate the profession.
The regulation of optometry is funded solely by registrant fees and there is no cross subsidisation between professions.
Download a PDF of this Media release - Optometry Board of Australia sets fees for 2014-15 - 27 August 2014 (107 KB,PDF)
1NSW is a co-regulatory jurisdiction.