Optometry Australia Board issues updated statement in response to the Uluru Statement of the Heart and the Voice Referendum

As we approach the Voice Referendum this Saturday, 14 October, the Optometry Australia Board has issued an updated statement on the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Voice to Parliament. This follows feedback from members and valued stakeholders, and further consideration from the Board.

The statement reads, ‘The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation for all Australians to walk with First Nations people “in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.”

‘The Optometry Australia Board is proud to accept this invitation and confirm our support for this historic call to action from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We hear, support, and amplify the Uluru Statement’s call for Voice, Treaty, and Truth.

‘Accepting this invitation is consistent with the commitments made in our Reconciliation Action Plan. We are committed to promoting the health and wellbeing of all Australians. As an organisation, we are committed to playing our part in the ongoing journey towards reconciliation and healing, and to advocating with and working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, to facilitate an Australia where all people have ready access to the eye care they need, provided in a culturally safe environment.

‘We respect that the optometry community in Australia is diverse, with a variety of views on nationally significant issues including the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the forthcoming Voice to Parliament referendum. The referendum is an important opportunity for all Australians to exercise their democratic rights, and we encourage our members to form their own opinion through seeking factual sources of information, thoughtful consideration and respectful conversations on this important issue.’