The Optometry Board of Australia (OBA) has increased its registration fee for 2019-2020 by 2.5% to AU$308. The annual renewal fee will apply from 16 September 2019 and covers the registration period for most practitioners of 1 December 2019 to 30 November 2020.
The Optometry Board of Australia (OBA) has increased its registration fee for 2019-2020 by 2.5% to AU$308
The Optometry Board was one of 11 National Boards to raise registration fees for 2019-2020 by an indexation of up to 3%. The others were the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Health Practice, dental, medical, medical radiation practice, nursing and midwifery, occupational therapy, paramedicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy and psychology.
Fees for four National Boards (Chinese medicine, chiropractic, osteopathy and podiatry) have been frozen to remain the same as last year.
Registration fees are published annually and fund the work of National Boards in partnership with AHPRA to keep the public safe by:
- supporting national registration to ensure only qualified, competent health practitioners can practise in Australia
- developing evidence-based and practice-tested standards, codes and guidelines
- investigating concerns raised about registered health practitioners, and
- approving accredited programs of study that lead to registration and endorsement.
Regulation of health practitioners in Australia is entirely funded by fees from registered practitioners, with no funding from governments.
AHPRA Chief Executive Officer Martin Fletcher said the 2019-2020 fees are intended to make sure regulation can respond to the increase in activity seen across the National Scheme.1
“With over 744,000 practitioners registered and a significant increase in notifications, we work with each National Board to set fees that allow us to meet the expectations of the public and practitioners,” Mr Fletcher said.
“Registration fees fully cover all costs involved in regulating each of the 16 professions included in the National Scheme. AHPRA works closely with National Boards to make sure the fees set allow us to carry out our duties and together protect the public,” he said.
The fees schedule for each profession is published on National Board websites, including the fee arrangements for practitioners whose principal place of practice is New South Wales (NSW). Any variation to the fees payable by NSW practitioners is announced by the Health Professional Council Authority (HPCA) in NSW and detailed in the published fee schedule.
Reference:
- National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme).