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2005 News Archive
November 2005
There has been an extension of time granted until 7th November for submissions to the Senate Community Affairs References and Legislation Committee re the proposed Amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 bill.
Take this opportunity to have your say ! We may never have another chance to so freely voice our thoughts and feelings about the potential impact of this bill !!!
Dr John Piesse from Melbourne submitted his, and it is worth reading.
October 2005
Legislation continues to be implemented, and on the 17th August 2005 Christopher Pyne, (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing), presented a bill for an Act to amend the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989.
So draconian were considered some of the clauses, that on the 7th September 2005, the Senate, on the recommendation of the Selection of Bills Committee, referred the provisions of the Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill 2005 to the Senate Community Affairs References and Legislation Committees for inquiry and report by 28 October 2005. Only SIX submissions were made, and a Public meeting was held in Canberra Thursday 13th October to discuss the issues.
ALL SIX ARE WORTH READING ! As soon as we know more about the outcomes, if any, of that meeting we will post them.
It was interesting that there does not appear to be a submission by the CHC on the public record.
Due to the structure of the current parliament, it would seem there is little that anyone can do about the passage of this document through the House of Representatives or the Senate, however the NHCA would urge all interested parties to discuss this issue with their local Liberal / National member of parliament to make them realize the draconian nature of these amendments and the potential flow on effects this MAY have on our industry. We believe that whilst this issue directly affects the manufacturing side of the industry, it is in our interests to remain aware of political issues and be active, and support our colleagues. We are all in this together at the end of the day !
As well, on the 24th August 2005 the 2005 Therapeutic Advertising Code passed into law, and already some small businesses are feeling the weight of censure on advertising, especially in electronic mediums. It may pay to re-visit your websites. We have received a number of calls from small business operators who have been operating for well over 10 years, suddenly being given notice to change the wording of their advertisements, especially websites.
Another pressing issue as we see it, is that it has come to our attention that the Dept of Health & Ageing is preparing a submission for a study to be undertaken on regulation of complementary health practitioners, as per the Expert Committee Report, and the TGA is largely responsible for the implementation of the recommendations of the Expert Committee Report. It may well pay all of us to re-visit the document which is posted on the NHCA site, as there is much that potentially could impact the natural health care sector, in the way we are allowed to practice, and which modalities we can use. ( note it is a very large pdf and can be viewed online).
It would appear that whilst the document has seemingly been gathering dust, this issue is not going away and we must, in all reality, address regulation of the industry, sooner than later. It would be interesting to know who is part of this implementation committee, and whether there is relevant representation on the practitioner side of the equation. Watch this space for further information !
As you can see, there is much work ahead of us!
September 2005
This is basically a call to action for every person involved or interested in natural healthcare in Australia! The NHCA has now been quietly working behind the scenes since late 2003. After the Pan recall, a more formal structure was created, and has been manned by a totally voluntary staff, who have donated countless 1000's of hours of hard work. Please click here to read an outline of what is happening.
If the NHCA is to continue to operate, we require SUPPORT, simple as that ! For the NHCA to continue to operate as an independent voice for the Natural Healthcare industry, at a Government level, we need to see a massive show of hands, from across the entire natural health spectrum Australia wide, to acknowledge the huge amount of effort that has been expended, working behind the scenes, to raise the profile of natural therapies, and a mandate to continue this work, despite ongoing negative press worldwide against many natural therapies.
If we cannot secure a steady residual form of income, we cannot continue to operate on fresh air and excitement!
The group consensus 12 months ago was to ask for a very small amount of $22 as a subscription, to enable ALL students to be involved, as much of what we are working toward, will secure their future employment security ! We would ask that you make it a priority if you feel the work we are doing is valuable, to JOIN the NHCA and spread the word far and wide, about the initiatives we are striving for.
The other brilliant and elegant solution was to instigate a 50c Levy, a sort of 'drip feed' solution that would have allow every single individual who was concerned about Natural Healthcare to make a small but valuable contribution. The concept is for the manufacturing and retail industry side to support this initiative and collect it on behalf of the NHCA. TMS started the ball rolling and we need many more to come on board. They demonstrated it was simple, unobtrusive in their daily trading and easy to administer. All we need is to KEEP THE BALL ROLLING !
Talk to your colleagues, your patients, your clients, your suppliers, your local health food store, your customers, your friends, your family.Download both documents outlining the call to action and the 50c Levy and distribute freely. Visit the web site www.nhca.com.au and read about all that we are doing, fill out the Survey, and help us help YOU ! The more support we receive the faster we can grow, and the better we can serve the needs of the industry, sidestepping the political infighting that has so often characterized this industry, and delayed real progress.
The times are a changing.........and unless the industry unites and addresses what lies ahead, AS ONE BODY, there is a very strong possibility we may be overlooked and legislated into non - existence. UNITED WE STAND - DIVIDED WE FALL.
The Expert Committee Report made a raft of recommendations, and we believe it's imperative that our industry be actively involved and well positioned to protect the unique diversity that is 'Natural Healthcare'.
We believe IT"S TIME to speak with one VOICE !
April - August 2005
Time has flown, and along with it, some of the content of the History page ! Once again gremlins hit the works several weeks ago, and we discovered that much of our time line for the NHCA had disappeared. Rather than attempt to replace it, suffice to say, WE ARE STILL HERE AND WORKING HARD AS EVER!
The highlight for August was the Sydney Natural Health Expo, at Wharf 8. Simon Cooper and his team from Intermedia Events who purchased the Expo from Eti Galapo, created a brilliant event and the NHCA were given tremendous support and airplay. Big cheer for Intermedia please !!! And also for Eti, who has worked so long and diligently to hold the space for a professional event dedicated to showcasing the best products available for the Natural Health industry.
Make sure you go along to the Melbourne event in November, and mark your diary NOW for next year's dates in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. This was an excellent event, and the largest of it's kind ever held in Australia. Support the people who are working hard to build a better profile for Natural Healthcare in Australia ! Click here to read the press release after the Sydney event.
March 2005
A well attended AGM despite stormy weather, saw three new faces come on board the Steering Committee.Dr Mark Donohoe was unanimously re-elected as President, Daniel Baden withdrew and Patricia Reed stepped down as Secretary and Public Officer. A very big vote of thanks to all members who have worked so tirelessly to see the NHCA reach this point.
It is with much delight that we welcome Jennie Burke as the new Secretary, and Vicki Mortimer and Darren Sassell. Russell Norden has stepped up to become the Treasurer, Rod Brennan becomes Vice President and Karen Bridgman and Patricia Reed will remain on the Committee as Ordinary Members.
Within days of our AGM, the Government finally released their long awaited response to the recommendations of the Expert Committee on Complementary Medicines in the Health System. Click here for the full article. The release was also accompanied by the usual rash of somewhat inflammatory press articles, and as always it proved to be almost impossible to interest the media in presenting the 'other' side of the story.
May we suggest that every practitioner who is concerned about the future of natural healthcare in this country take the time to familiarize themselves with this TGA report, as it heralds some potentially wide sweeping changes in the industry.
The 50c levy continues to generate a steady reliable drip feed of funding ( albeit small ) thanks to the ongoing support of TMS which is the first company to come on board with the idea, and has been a shining example of commitment to the idea.
We were bemused to learn that a leading practitioner group were highly critical of the concept, and had suggested they would actively disparage TMS for participating.
Such a reaction from 'within the ranks' is so disappointing, yet so typical, and we believe it highlights an URGENT need to provide an option for practitioners to have an independent voice beyond their associations, to be lobbying Government. We stress the point that any participating practitioner who is purchasing product from a company supporting the NHCA 50c Levy is given the option of contributing - they are not forced to do this.
February 2005
Well finally the date has been settled on, and the long awaited AGM will be held on Thursday evening 3rd March. All positions are open, and several of the Steering Committee members have indicated they will definitely be stepping down and not electing to remain. To be eligible to vote or hold a position you must be a fully paid up member.
There is still much work for this association to do, and the fact that people continue to opt in on an almost daily basis from the web site, indicating they want to join and be in the loop of newsletters, would indicate a widespread grass roots interest. The challenge is to convert this interest to funding, which would then enable the NHCA to embark on a number of much needed projects.
Without funding the association is hamstrung, and it becomes extremely difficult to be effective and heard in the marketplace. Contact us today and join ! It's only $22 and gives you the opportunity to be part of a unique and committed group of individuals working to protect and serve our industry. .......may we also suggest you read this article, and know that unless something radical happens soon, Australia is headed down an almost identical path to the US. The last 3 paragraphs are especially sobering.
January 2005
Welcome to the New Year ! Global events are certainly dominating the news at present, and rightly so, however we ned to remain vigilant and aware of developments here in our own country in regard to upcoming regulatory changes within the TGA later this year, as well as proposed changes emanating from the Expert Report last year.
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