The president's review of VCAT is an opportunity for the Victorian community to have your say.  The president is interested in hearing your first hand experiences of coming to VCAT.  You may have brought a dispute to the tribunal for resolution, or you may have been required to attend to defend your position.  You may also have experience with dealing with VCAT as a support person for a family member or friend with a dispute, or even as a witness or interpreter.

In whatever way you have come into contact with VCAT's services, the president would like to know what you thought.  Your experiences are a key indicator of how well VCAT is operating. 

Here are some questions you might like to consider:

• What were your overall impressions of VCAT?
• Was the resolution fair and appropriate?
• Was the use of technology or alternative dispute resolution (such as mediation) useful in the resolution of your dispute?
• Was the level of customer service acceptable?

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is an important way of providing access to justice that is low-cost, efficient and fair.  Over 70 per cent of disputes at VCAT are currently referred to ADR to help parties resolve their problems before resorting to the adversarial tradition of litigation as is common in the courts system. 

Parties can attend a mediation or a compulsory conference moderated by a qualified and experienced VCAT mediator, during which they can discuss the issues and interests at the core of the dispute.  This provides parties with the opportunity to reach a compromise before embarking on a formal hearing that can be costly and lengthy. 

VCAT has a purpose built Mediation Centre with hearing rooms, meeting areas and break out rooms.  VCAT is also a Recognised Mediation Accreditation Body (RMAB) under the National Mediator Accreditation system.  This means VCAT is able to accredit and provide training to its mediators.

You are invited to share your views about ADR at VCAT.  The president is interested in hearing your first hand experiences of mediations or compulsory conferences, and your ideas about the future of VCAT as a centre of excellence in ADR.   

Here are some questions you might like to consider: 

VCAT is committed to ensuring all Victorian communities have access to the services it provides.  VCAT is centrally located at 55 King Street in Melbourne, which houses the customer service centre, hearing rooms and the VCAT Mediation Centre.  When VCAT holds hearings in outer suburban and regional areas, it sits in a number of different locations such as the local law courts.

VCAT’s work is far reaching in its scope and the number of people it affects across Victoria.  In 2007-2008 VCAT received around 86 000 cases which in turn affected many more individuals, families and businesses throughout metropolitan and country Victoria. 

The president of VCAT, Justice Kevin Bell, is interested in hearing your views on how well VCAT engages with your local community, particularly if you live in outer suburban Melbourne or regional Victoria.  As part of the community consultation, Justice Bell visited the communities of Mildura, Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Geelong and Morwell, and will conduct community forums throughout the greater Melbourne region in July and August 2009.

Here are some questions you might like to consider:

• Is VCAT easy for the community to access?
• Do the people in the outer suburbs of Melbourne and in regional and country Victoria have the same ready access to VCAT as people living in urban Melbourne?
• Is VCAT’s level of customer service acceptable in outer metropolitan and regional centres?

• Where can VCAT improve the community’s awareness of its role?