Most optometrists will pay AU$300 to register with the Optometry Board of Australia (OBA) from 1 December 2016 to 30 November 2017, down $25 from last year’s fee.
The fee for practitioners whose principal place of practice is NSW is also $300.1
A fee schedule, including the fee arrangements for practitioners whose principal place of practice is NSW, will be published on the Board’s website.
The National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) is funded by practitioners’ registration fees. According to a statement released by OBA, the decision to reduce the fee ensures practitioners are not unduly burdened, but still provides sufficient income to allow the Board to meet its obligations in protecting the public.
The Board’s continuous regulatory policy work and engagement with the profession ensures its focus of protecting the public through effective regulation of optometrists
Board Chair, Mr. Ian Bluntish, said the Board was pleased to be able to lower the fee for the fourth year in a row and still fulfil its regulatory obligations.
“The Board’s continuous regulatory policy work and engagement with the profession ensures its focus of protecting the public through effective regulation of optometrists,” Mr. Bluntish said.
The Board will also shortly publish the Health Profession Agreement (HPA). The HPA provides information about the Board’s financial operations, outlines the partnership between the Board and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and the services AHPRA will provide to the Board to regulate the profession.
