ARONAH Welcomes Professional Collaboration and Reaffirms Commitment to Statutory Registration

The Australian Register of Naturopaths and Herbalists (ARONAH) acknowledges the recent announcement regarding the formation of Naturopathy & Western Herbal Medicine United Associations (NATHUA).

ARONAH welcomes initiatives that seek to strengthen collaboration across the naturopathy and Western herbal medicine professions. For many years, fragmentation of representation has limited the profession’s ability to present a cohesive voice to government and key stakeholders.

At the same time, it is important to clarify ARONAH’s distinct role.

Our mandate is grounded in public protection. ARONAH’s work has included the development of national education and competency standards, independent accreditation frameworks, regulatory research and international benchmarking.

This work has culminated in the preparation of a formal submission to government seeking inclusion of naturopathy and Western herbal medicine in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.

As governments consider the future regulation of health professions, regulatory credibility requires:

• Governance independence
• Regulatory maturity
• Evidence-based standards
• International benchmarking
• Clear separation between professional advocacy and regulation

This separation is foundational to credibility with governments and Health Ministers. Professional associations have an important role in representing practitioners and strengthening the collective voice of the professions. Independent regulation serves a different purpose: establishing standards and regulatory safeguards in the public interest.

ARONAH remains focused on securing statutory registration and protection of title for qualified naturopaths and Western herbalists. Statutory registration provides the mechanism to establish protected titles, enforceable entry-to-practice standards, effective regulatory powers and nationally consistent public safety protections.

ARONAH looks forward to constructive engagement with professional associations, education providers, practitioners and other stakeholders as we progress toward statutory registration and a strengthened future for naturopathy and Western herbal medicine.