Optometry Australia Votes to Unify Into Single National Body in Landmark Decision

An overwhelming majority of members across all state divisions have backed the historic restructure, promising lower fees, stronger advocacy and a unified voice for the profession.

Optometry Australia is set to become a single national entity after members across every state and territory voted decisively in favour of unification, in what the organisation is calling the most significant structural change in its history.

The vote, which required a majority across state divisions to pass, succeeded by a substantial margin in all jurisdictions with support ranging from 81% in Western Australia to a unanimous 100% in Tasmania. Optometry Victoria South Australia returned 97% in favour, Optometry Queensland Northern Territory 95%, and Optometry NSW/ACT 86%.

The result caps an eighteen-month process that involved divisional boards, town halls, member feedback sessions and direct engagement across all states and territories.

CEO Mark Nevin said the outcome was a clear signal from members that the profession was ready for a stronger, more effective peak body.

"Optometrists deserve a peak body that will excel," he said. "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."

What Changes for Members

Under the new model, members will be represented by one unified organisation rather than separate state divisions. Governance will include direct elections for a national board, State Advisory Bodies and committees, while staff will remain distributed across the country to maintain local engagement and support.

Nevin was emphatic that day-to-day member services including CPD, events, professional indemnity insurance and advocacy would continue uninterrupted throughout the transition, with the longer-term aim of reducing duplication and improving efficiency.

On fees, the organisation was direct: unification will deliver lower and more consistent costs for members nationally.

Charity Status Opens New Funding Doors

One of the less-publicised but potentially significant outcomes of the restructure is that the new entity has been registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) as a Health Promotion Charity (HPC), a classification that reflects the public health work optometrists already perform and that unlocks access to grants and funding streams previously unavailable to the organisation.

The HPC status is expected to create new capacity for community eye health programs and outreach, while helping to keep member costs down over time.

One Voice on National Policy

Nevin framed the structural change as essential for driving real change on the policy and regulatory fronts, arguing that the fragmented divisional model had limited the profession's influence at the national level.

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

The transition to the unified entity will now begin in earnest, with the organisation committing to keep members informed in the coming months. Further opportunities for member involvement in governance and implementation are expected to be announced as the process progresses.