Optometry Australia to unify into single national entity

Following an 18-month project to develop a model for unification in partnership with divisional boards, a proposal for Optometry Australia to unify into a new single national entity has been endorsed nationwide.

The figures from voting members in favour of unification were as follows:

• 81% in Optometry Western Australia;
• 86% in Optometry New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory;
• 95% in Optometry Queensland Northern Territory;
• 97% in Optometry Victoria/South Australia;
• 100% in Optometry Tasmania.
   

Members will be represented by a single unified organisation under the new model, with direct elections for the national board, State Advisory Bodies and committees. To continue local engagement and support, staff will be located across the country. The new organisation is also registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) as a Health Promotion Charity (HPC). This status, Optometry Australia said in a statement “reflects the public benefit work optometrists already do” and “opens new opportunities for funding and community impact”.

“HPC registration brings opportunities to apply for grants and funding streams not previously available, creating new capacity for Optometry Australia to engage communities, promote eye health and deliver programs that extend the reach of the profession, while helping to keep member costs down,” the statement read.

“Optometrists deserve a peak body that will excel. With this vote, a resounding majority of members have decided that we need a highly effective single entity with expert professional leadership overseeing dedicated teams, all rowing in the same direction,” Optometry Australia CEO Mark Nevin said. “Unification will deliver lower fees consistently and we will unleash the potential of our profession.”

Throughout the transition, member services — including CPD, events, professional support, premium professional indemnity insurance and advocacy — will continue, Optometry Australia said, with a focus on improving efficiency and reducing duplication. Updates will be communicated to members in the coming months, which will include opportunities for member involvement in governance and the next phase of implementation, Optometry Australia said.

“Most of the policy, regulatory and funding levers to advance optometry are national,” Nevin said. “A unified peak body can apply real, coordinated pressure where it matters most. One profession. One voice. One future.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Meeko Media