Commitment to First Nations Peoples Health

Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand (OCANZ) respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Australia and Māori Peoples of Aotearoa/New Zealand as the First peoples in each land mass and the proud custodians of the longest surviving cultures on our planet. We pay our respects to these traditional owners and honour their unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich and ongoing contribution to society.

The Board of Directors, on the behalf of OCANZ, accepts the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and support its implementation in full (Voice, Treaty, Truth), which includes support for a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Australian Constitution.

This statement of support reflects OCANZ’s engagement with our Directors, Indigenous Strategy Taskforce and staff. 

OCANZ is committed to working alongside First Nations peoples in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand to improve (eye) health outcomes.  OCANZ supports learning about Indigenous culture and valuing and celebrating it in our mainstream society. A key component of our work contributes to making optometry services free of racism and inequity.

OCANZ actively works to deepen our organisation’s culturally safe work practices by listening to, learning from, and elevating First Nations voices.