Media release

02 Dec 2013

National Board to waive 2013 renewal late fee

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (the National Board) has decided to waive the late fee for the 2013 renewal period.

About 300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners with general registration were due to renew by 30 November.

Under the National Law¹, renewal applications received after the registration expiry date incur a late payment fee in addition to the annual renewal fee.

National Board Chair Peter Pangquee said about 72 per cent of practitioners had so far renewed their registration.

This is the second time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners have renewed their registration since the profession joined the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) in July 2012.

‘The National Board wants to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners by removing any barriers to them renewing their registration to practise,’ Mr Pangquee said.

‘In waiving the late fee, the Board is encouraging individuals to renew their registration before the end of the late period or they will risk their registration lapsing.’

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners who do not apply to renew their registration by 31 December 2013 will have lapsed registration. They will be removed from the national register of practitioners, and may not be able to practise their profession.

Under the National Law, a practitioner must be registered if they wish to, or their employer requires them to use one of the protected titles: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner, Aboriginal health practitioner, or Torres Strait Islander health practitioner.

Also, a practitioner may need to be registered as part of their employment requirements, even if the protected title is not used. That is, if their employer requires the practitioner to hold registration as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner as a requirement of the job, then the practitioner must be registered to be employed.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, whose application is received by 31 December, can continue practising while their application is processed.

‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners who have not yet renewed their registration can renew online now, without the worry of an additional late fee,’ Mr Pangquee said.

For more information

• Lodge an online enquiry form
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 03 8708 9001 (overseas callers) 
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200

Download a PDF of this Media release - National Board to waive 2013 renewal late fee - 2 December 2013 (123 KB,PDF)

¹The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law).