Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander eye health Advisory Group

Committed to improving outcomes

We are committed to supporting improved and sustainable access to primary eye care and improved eye health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Since 2008, the Optometry Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health Advisory Group has provided invaluable guidance and support in our work in this area. Its role is to:

• Provide expert advice, information and guidance to Optometry Australia on key policy issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye care
• Engage with and communicate to the wider Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander eye care sector on Optometry Australia’s activities
• Support Optometry Australia advocacy for policy positions and initiatives as appropriate.

Membership

The current term of the Advisory Group runs from July 2020 to June 2022.

Each of the 10 members invited to join the Advisory Group for its 2020-2022 term has demonstrated experience across a range of key areas which will prove invaluable to achieving the group’s goal of ensuring optometry’s contribution to national efforts to close the gap for vision.

Members invited to participate in the group are:

• Mr Mitchell Anjou (Chair)
• Mr Gary Crerie
• Miss Anya Dashko
• Miss Sinead Denny
• Mr Jose Estevez
• Mr Luke Higgins
• Ms Lauren Hutchinson
• Ms Nilmini John
• Mr Josiah Murphy
• Ms Sarah Nicholls
• Miss Kate Pecar

Past achievements

As a result of the contribution of many members since its inception in 2008, the Advisory Group has ensured Optometry Australia’s commitment to supporting improved and sustainable access to primary eye care and improved eye health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has gone from strength to strength, through:

• Ensuring optometry’s continued contribution to national efforts to close the gap in vision and eye health outcomes through provision of advice to various sector-wide projects.
• Developing and promoting key policy positions, including around nationally consistent subsidized spectacle schemes and sustainable service provision.
• Expanding networks within the profession, through supporting Optometry Australia to host both face-to-face and virtual networking events and discussion forums
• Providing of advice to shape the Commonwealth’s Visiting Optometrists Scheme, ensuring its continued value to the community

For further information

For further information on the current priorities of the Optometry Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health Advisory Group, please contact the Optometry Australia Member Support and Optometry Advancement team at policy@optometry.org.au.