Australian Capital Territory
Explanatory Statement
Health Professionals (Fees) Determination 2009 (No 5)
Disallowable instrument DI2009–184
made under the
Health Professionals Act 2004, s 132 (Determination of fees)

The Health Professionals Act 2004 (the Act) is an Act to protect the public from risk of harm by ensuring that the people who provide health services regulated by this Act are competent to provide health services, and for other purposes.  

Section 132 of the Act provides the Health Professional Boards with the power to determine fees for the purpose of the Act.  This instrument sets fees for the ACT Medical Radiation Scientists Board.

This instrument sets fees for registration of persons under Section 112 of the Health Professionals Regulation 2004, for short term registration under section 115A of the Health Professionals Regulation 2004, for late payment of annual renewal under section 127 of the Health Professionals Regulation 2004, for re-registration under section 128 of the Health Professionals Regulation 2004, for provision of a duplicate certificate under section 122 of the Health Professionals Regulation 2004, for alteration to the register under section 156 of the Health Professionals Regulation 2004, and fee for an extract from the register under section 155 of the Health Professionals Regulation 2004 (referred to hereunder as the Regulation).  
The fees are to meet the agreed costs of operating the Health Professions Boards’ Secretariat and carrying out the functions of the Board.  The Board needs to increase its fees from annual renewals, which will comprise the majority of its revenue.  This is the first renewal period for this Board as all previous registrants were registering for the first time.  The fee for registering for the first time was $240 and the fee for renewing registration will be $280, an increase of $40 or 16.6% above the initial registration fee.  This level of fee will be necessary to prevent the Board going into deficit.  This fee is lower than the average renewal fee of $314 for ACT allied health professionals.
The fee for initial registration will rise to $310, which is a little above the average fee of $287 for all jurisdictions.  It is lower than the fee of $375 for Western Australia and of $403 for Queensland and is about the same as the New Zealand fee of $315.  It is higher than the fee of $150 for Victoria, which enjoys the economies of scale, and of $170 in Tasmania, where the Board does not have professional secretariat support.  Registration is not required in New South Wales or in South Australia.  Registration in the Northern Territory is a token amount as the Government provides the Board’s administration.
The previous fees were set at a time when the number of registrants was unknown and the Board was being established with limited knowledge of required income and expenditure.  The initial estimate of the likely number of registrants was 50% higher than the number that actually registered.  The revenue raised was insufficient to enable the Board to carry out activities at an appropriate level.
No change has been made to:
the fee for short term registration (Section 115A of the Regulation); 
the fee for provision of a duplicate certificate (Section 122 of the Regulation); 
the fee for alteration to the register (Section 156 of the Regulation); or 
the fee for an extract from the register (Section 155 of the Regulation).
Changes to fees are proposed as follows to balance the Board’s budget and to reflect the costs to the Board and the public of late registrations and re‑registrations:
Provision		Increase 

Section 112 of the Regulation:
Fee for initial registration						$70 
Fee for initial registration in professional development year	(PDY)	$35 
Fee for mutual recognition registration				$70
Fee for mutual recognition registration in PDY			$35
Fee for annual renewal of registration				$70 
Fee for annual renewal of registration in PDY			$35 
Fee for non-practising registration					$15 

Section 127 of the Regulation:
Fee for late payment of annual renewal for registration		$75

Section 128 of the Regulation:
Fee for retrospective re-registration					$70
Fee for non-retrospective registration 				$70