Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00159:front:0:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00159
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 0–3221

Statement of Principles
concerning
VISUAL REFRACTIVE ERROR
 (Balance of Probabilities)
(No. 36 of 2025)
The Repatriation Medical Authority determines the following Statement of Principles under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.

Dated 18 February 2025.

Professor Terence Campbell AM
Chairperson
by and on behalf of
The Repatriation Medical Authority

Contents
1 Name
2 Commencement
3 Authority
4 Repeal
5 Application
6 Definitions
7 Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
8 Basis for determining the factors
9 Factors that must exist
10 Relationship to service
11 Factors referring to an injury or disease covered by another Statement of Principles
Schedule 1 - Dictionary
1 Definitions

 1.                Name
This is the Statement of Principles concerning visual refractive error (Balance of Probabilities) (No. 36 of 2025).
 1.                Commencement
              This instrument commences on 25 March 2025.
 1.                Authority
This instrument is made under subsection 196B(3) of the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986.
 1.                Repeal
The Statement of Principles concerning myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism (Balance of Probabilities No. 10 of 2016 (Federal Register of Legislation No. F2016L00246) made under subsection 196B(3) of the VEA is repealed.
 1.                Application
This instrument applies to a claim to which section 120B of the VEA or section 339 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 applies.
 1.                Definitions
The terms defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary have the meaning given when used in this instrument.
 1.                Kind of injury, disease or death to which this Statement of Principles relates
        1.           This Statement of Principles is about visual refractive error and death from visual refractive error.
Meaning of visual refractive error
 1.           For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, visual refractive error:
         1.           means a group of eye diseases where the refractive power of the optical system in a relaxed state does not match the length of the eyeball; and
         2.           includes:
                1.             myopia (nearsightedness);
                2.          hyperopia (hypermetropia, farsightedness);
                3.        astigmatism; and
                4.         anisometropia; and
         3.           excludes presbyopia (age-related farsightedness).
Note 1: The eye's optical system is a compound lens primarily consisting of the cornea and the internal lens.
Note 2: Visual refractive errors produce symptoms of blurred vision and signs of decreased visual acuity through distortion of focus as the light rays pass through the eyeball to the retina
Note 3: There is also potential for the difference in refractive errors between the eyes to be substantially different (≥1 diopter). This is called anisometropia and can lead to suppression of visual acuity of one of the eyes.
Myopia:
 1.           means a visual refractive error where the refractive power of the optical system in the relaxed state is too strong for the eyeball length (the focal length of the