1:30min
The Optometry Board of Australia has reduced its registration fee for the second consecutive year. Registration for 2014-2015 has been lowered to $365.
The OBA has stipulated that the annual renewal fee will apply from 9 September 2014 and cover the registration period for most practitioners of 1 December 2014 to 30 November 2015.
In a statement released on 27 August, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency announced that among 14 boards, the OBA was one of six boards to reduce practitioner registration fees for 2014-2015.
Two boards have frozen their fees and six have limited their fee increases to the national Consumer Price Index.
AHPRA stated that the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, which has been in place for four years, was funded by practitioners’ registration fees and there was no cross-subsidisation between professions.
AHPRA CEO Martin Fletcher said managing notifications—complaints—was a major cost for national boards, resulting in fee levels being kept under close review.
More detailed information about each board’s financial operations is published in AHPRA’s annual report, which is due to be released in November. For more information, visit www.ahpra.gov.au.