On 27 April 2012, the Standing Council on Health meeting as the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council approved new general registration standards for optometrists. Currently, optometrists are not required to hold qualifications in ocular therapeutics to be registered. However, this will become mandatory from 1 December 2014, with grandfathering provisions for existing optometrists. The Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) best practice regulation requirements apply to decisions by COAG, ministerial councils or other bodies where there is a reasonable expectation of widespread compliance. Under the COAG requirements a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) is to be prepared for public consultation and for the final decision, and assessed as adequate by the Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR). As RISs were not prepared for consultation or decision, the OBPR has assessed the proposal as being non-compliant with the COAG best practice regulation requirements.