Super tribunal to start on 1 January 2014​

Acting Minister for Justice Michael Gallacher today announced that the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) will start on 1 January 2014.  

“The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal is a one-stop shop for almost all state tribunals making it easier for people in NSW to access the services they need,” Mr Gallacher said.  

“NCAT enables these services to exist as a network, rather than in isolation, which will improve their quality, consistency and transparency. People will also have access to an internal appeals panel, which will provide quick and accessible reviews of most tribunal decisions.” 

The government has integrated 22 of the State’s tribunals and bodies into a new overarching tribunal that will provide a simple, quick and effective process for resolving disputes, supervising occupations and reviewing executive action.  

Harnessing the expertise of the State’s existing tribunals, NCAT operates four specialist divisions: 

• Consumer and Commercial
• Guardianship
• Administrative and Equal Opportunity and
• Occupational.

Across all types of matters, NCAT is committed to: timely, fair, high-quality decision-making; maintaining current levels of service including retaining specialist expertise and services; and continuous improvement in service delivery.

In October last year the government announced the appointment of the Hon Justice Robertson Wright as a Supreme Court judge and as the inaugural President of NCAT. Justice Wright was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge on 25 October 2013. On the same date, he began a five-year term as NCAT President.

“If you have lodged an application with an existing tribunal before 1 January 2014 and it has not yet been heard, the application does not have to be re-lodged at NCAT,” Mr Gallacher said.

“If you are making an application after 1 January 2014 you will be making an application to NCAT.

“Tribunal services will continue to be delivered in multiple locations with registries located across metropolitan and regional NSW,” Mr Gallacher said.