End matter
Glossary
Term	Definition	
AAT	Administrative Appeals Tribunal	
ADR	Alternative dispute resolution	
Affirm	If the Tribunal affirms a decision under review, the original decision stands (is unchanged).	
Alternative dispute resolution	A process for resolving a dispute, other than at a hearing. The Tribunal employs five processes: conference, conciliation, mediation, case appraisal and neutral evaluation.	
Applicant	The person, organisation, department or agency that has lodged an application with the Tribunal.	
Application for extension of time	An application for review of a decision must be lodged with the Tribunal within a certain time limit. However, an application may be made to the Tribunal to extend the time for lodging an application.	
APS	Australian Public Service	
Case appraisal	An alternative dispute resolution process conducted by a Tribunal member or other person, chosen on the basis of their knowledge of the subject matter, who assists the parties to resolve the dispute by providing a non-binding opinion on the facts in dispute and likely outcomes.	
COAT	Council of Australasian Tribunals	
Conciliation	An alternative dispute resolution process in which a Tribunal member or Conference Registrar assists the parties to identify the issues in dispute and endeavour to reach an agreement. The conciliator has no determinative role but may advise on or determine the conciliation process, make suggestions on terms of settlement and actively encourage the parties to reach an agreement. 	
Conference 	A meeting conducted by a Tribunal member or Conference Registrar with the parties and/or their representatives. Conferences provide an opportunity to discuss and define the issues in dispute, identify further evidence that may be gathered, explore whether the matter can be settled and discuss the future conduct of the matter. 	
Confidentiality order	The Tribunal may make an order directing that a hearing or part of a hearing be held in private. The Tribunal may also give directions prohibiting or restricting the publication of the names of a party or witnesses, evidence given before the Tribunal or matters contained in documents lodged with the Tribunal.	
CSS	Commonwealth Superannuation Scheme	
Directions hearing	A hearing to deal with procedural matters such as the exchange of statements or documents, to clarify issues relating to the conduct of a hearing to progress a matter in which there has been delay by a party. Directions hearings are conducted by Tribunal members.	
Dismissal of application	The Tribunal may, in certain circumstances, dismiss an application without proceeding to review the decision. An application may be dismissed, for example, at the request of the parties, if the applicant fails to appear at an ADR process, directions hearing or hearing, or if the Tribunal is satisfied that the application is frivolous or vexatious. 	
FMO	Finance Minister’s Order	
GST	Goods and Services Tax	
Hearing	The occasion at which the parties may present to the Tribunal evidence and submissions in relation to the decision under review. Parties may call witnesses to give evidence. A hearing is conducted by one, two or three Tribunal members.	
HSR	Health and Safety Representative	
IASAJ	International Association of Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions	
Interlocutory application	Any application made by a party that relates to an application for review of a decision, including an application: for an extension of time to lodge an application; to stay the operation of the decision under review; or for a confidentiality order.	
Mediation	An alternative dispute resolution process during which a Tribunal member or Conference Registrar assists the parties to identify the issues in dispute, develop options, consider alternatives and endeavour to reach an agreement. The mediator has no advisory or determinative role in relation to the content of the dispute but may advise on or determine the mediation process.	
MRT	Migration Review Tribunal	
NAATI	National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters	
NDIA	National Disability Insurance Agency	
NDIS	National Disability Insurance Scheme	
Neutral evaluation	An alternative dispute resolution process in which a Tribunal member or other person, chosen on the basis of their knowledge of the subject matter, assists the parties to resolve the dispute by evaluating the facts and law at issue in the dispute and providing a non-binding opinion on the likely outcomes. 	
OPA	Official Public Account	
Outreach	A Tribunal program that provides self-represented parties with information about Tribunal practices and procedures and other assistance in the review process.	
Party	A participant in the proceedings before the Tribunal. A party can be the person who makes the application to the Tribunal, the decision-maker or other respondent to the application and any other person joined to the proceedings.	
Party joined	A person, department or agency whose interests are affected by a decision under review may be made a party to the proceeding by order of the Tribunal. This person, department, or agency is a party joined.	
Portfolio Budget Statements	Statements prepared to explain the Budget appropriations for agencies within a portfolio in terms of outcomes and programs.	
PSS	Public Sector Superannuation Scheme	
PSSap	Public Sector Superannuation accumulation plan 	
RRT	Refugee Review Tribunal	
Remit	The Tribunal may set aside a decision and remit it (send it back) to the original decision-maker to be reconsidered in accordance with any directions or recommendations of the Tribunal.	
Respondent	The party who responds to or answers an application; usually the department, agency or organisation that made the original decision.	
Section 37 Documents	The statement and documents that a decision-maker must provide to the Tribunal and the other party under section 37 of Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975. They are generally known as the ‘T Documents’ and include the reasons for the decision under review and all other relevant documents.	
Set aside	The Tribunal may set aside a decision under review. The effect is that the Tribunal disagrees with the original decision and may make a new decision or remit the matter (send it back) to the original decision-maker.	
SSAT	Social Security Appeals Tribunal	
Stay order	An order of the Tribunal to suspend the operation or implementation of the decision under review until the matter is determined or resolved.	
Summons	A notice issued by the Tribunal calling a person to appear before it to give evidence or to produce documents to it.	
T Documents	see ‘Section 37 Documents’.	
TRACS	The Tribunal’s electronic case management system.	
Vary	The Tribunal may vary a decision under review. This means that the Tribunal changes or alters the original decision.	
VRB	Veterans’ Review Board	
List of requirements
DESCRIPTION	PAGE	
Letter of transmittal	iii	
Table of contents	iv	
Index	210	
Glossary	204	
Contact officer(s)	ii	
Internet home page address and Internet address for report	ii	
REVIEW BY AGENCY HEAD		
Review by the President	2	
Review by the Registrar	5	
Summary of significant issues and developments*	2–9	
Overview of performance and financial results*	2–6	
Outlook for the following year*	2–6	
Significant issues and developments – portfolio*	Not applicable	
AGENCY OVERVIEW		
Role and functions	12	
Organisational structure	13–16	
Outcome and programme structure	29	
Where outcome and programme structures differ from Portfolio Budget Statements/Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements or other portfolio statements accompanying any other additional appropriation bills (other portfolio statements), details of variation and reasons for change	Not applicable	
Portfolio structure	Not applicable	
REPORT ON PERFORMANCE		
Review of performance during the year in relation to programmes and contribution to outcomes	24–32	
Actual performance in relation to deliverables and KPIs set out in Portfolio Budget Statements/Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements or other portfolio statements	29–30	
Where performance targets differ from the Portfolio Budget Statements/Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements, details of both former and new targets, and reasons for the change	Not applicable	
Narrative discussion and analysis of performance	24–32	
Trend information	24–32	
Significant changes in nature of principal functions/services*	Not applicable	
Performance of purchaser/provider arrangements	Not applicable	
Factors, events or trends influencing agency performance*	24–32	
Contribution of risk management in achieving objectives*	53–4	
Performance against service charter customer service standards, complaints data, and the agency’s response to complaints	34–6	
Discussion and analysis of the agency’s financial performance	52	
Discussion of any significant changes in financial results from the prior year, from budget or anticipated to have a significant impact on future operations	Not applicable	
Agency resource statement and summary resource tables by outcomes	176–7	
MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY		
Corporate Governance		
Agency heads are required to certify that their agency complies with the ‘Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines’	54	
Statement of the main corporate governance practices in place	13–18, 52–4	
Names of the senior executive and their responsibilities*	13–16	
Senior management committees and their roles*	17–18, 53–4	
Corporate and operational plans and associated performance reporting and review*	5, 52	
Internal audit arrangements including approach adopted to identifying areas of significant financial or operational risk and arrangements to manage those risks*	53–4	
Policy and practices on the establishment and maintenance of appropriate ethical standards*	54–5	
How nature and amount of remuneration for senior executive service officers is determined*	57	
External Scrutiny		
Significant developments in external scrutiny	Not applicable	
Judicial decisions and decisions of administrative tribunals and by the Australian Information Commissioner	33–4	
Reports by the Auditor-General, a Parliamentary Committee, the Commonwealth Ombudsman or an agency capability review	34	
Management of Human Resources		
Assessment of effectiveness in managing and developing human resources to achieve agency objectives	56–62	
Workforce planning, staff turnover and retention*	56–7	
Impact and features of enterprise or collective agreements, individual flexibility arrangements (IFAs), determinations, common law contracts and Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs)*	57	
Training and development undertaken and its impact*	58–60	
Work health and safety performance*	60–1	
Productivity gains*	62	
Statistics on staffing	56, 146–7	
Enterprise or collective agreements, IFAs, determinations, common law contracts and AWAs	57	
Performance pay	57	
Assets Management		
Assessment of effectiveness of assets management 	Not applicable	
Purchasing		
Assessment of purchasing against core policies and principles	52–3	
Consultants		
The annual report must include a summary statement detailing the number of new consultancy services contracts let during the year; the total actual expenditure on all new consultancy contracts let during the year (inclusive of GST); the number of ongoing consultancy contracts that were active in the reporting year; and the total actual expenditure in the reporting year on the ongoing consultancy contracts (inclusive of GST). The annual report must include a statement noting that information on contracts and consultancies is available through the AusTender website.	53	
Australian National Audit Office Access Clauses		
Absence of provisions in contracts allowing access by the Auditor-General	53	
Exempt contracts		
Contracts exempted from publication in AusTender	53	
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	66–114	
OTHER MANDATORY INFORMATION 		
Work health and safety (Schedule 2, Part 4 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011	60–1	
Advertising and Market Research (Section 311A of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918) and statement on advertising campaigns	200	
Ecologically sustainable development and environmental performance (Section 516A of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999)	200	
Compliance with the agency’s obligations under the Carer Recognition Act 2010	Not applicable	
Grant programmes	201	
Disability reporting – explicit and transparent reference to agency level information available through other reporting mechanisms	201	
Information Publication Scheme statement	34	
Correction of material errors in previous annual report	Not applicable	
Agency Resource Statements and Resources for Outcomes	176–7	
List of Requirements	207–9	
* Items marked with an asterisk are suggested rather than mandatory items for inclusion in the annual report.
Index
A
AAT Alerts, see communication 
accessibility of Tribunal, 20–1
Agency Multicultural Plan, 44
Indigenous access, 44–5
interpreting services, 21
Outreach program, 19, 20, 35
people with disability 21, 40, 45
Administrative Appeals Tribunal
committees, see committees
divisions, 13, 116–18 
establishment, 12
functions and powers, 12
members, see Members
organisational structure, 13–18
relationships, 46–50
strategic plan, 5, 8, 17, 40, 46, 52, 62
Administrative Review Council, 48
advertising, 200
agency agreement, 54, 57, 58
alternative dispute resolution, 7, 15, 18, 20, 29, 40, 42–3, 59, 204, 205
guidelines, 7, 20, 43
number of processes, 35, 172
raising awareness of, 43
see also committees, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee
amalgamation of tribunals, 4, 5, 43, 47–8, 79 
appeals against decisions of Tribunal, 33, 173–5
applications, 
management of, 18–9
National Disability Insurance Scheme, 28, 162
outcomes of applications finalised, 170–1
portfolio, lodged and finalised by, 164–8
social security, 25–6, 162
taxation, 27–8, 163–4
timeliness, 3, 5, 7, 29–32
veterans’ affairs, 26, 162
workers’ compensation, 27, 163
audit, 53–4
see also committees, Audit Committee
Auditor-General, reports by, 34
Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), 57
B
Benevolent Trust, 62
C
case appraisal, 18, 19, 204
number of, 172
case management, see also practice and procedure,
case management process, 18–19
committees,
Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, 17
Audit Committee, 53–4
Executive Committee, 17
Executive Deputy Presidents Committee, 17
Health and Safety Committee, 61
Library Committee, 17, 63
National Consultative Committee, 61
NDIS Monitoring Committee, 17
Practice and Procedure Committee, 17, 40
Practice and Procedure Consultative Group, 17, 40
Professional Development Committee, 18, 58
Warrants Committee, 18
Workplace Diversity Committee, 61
Commonwealth Ombudsman, 34
communication, 
AAT Alerts, 45–6
awareness raising activities, 40, 43, 45, 49–50, 193–9 
consultation and liaison, 40, 41, 43–4, 46–8
information about the Tribunal, 20, 44, 45
internal, 9, 62
media, 62
website, 21, 46
competitions,
mooting competition, 8, 49–50
negotiating competition, 8, 43, 49–50
complaints, 21
Australian Human Rights Commission, to, 34
Commonwealth Ombudsman, to, 34
Officer of the Australian Information Commissioner, to, 34
Tribunal, to, 35–6
conciliation, 18, 19, 41, 45, 204
number of, 172
concurrent evidence, 183
guidelines, 20
Conference Registrars, 3, 15, 16, 43, 50, 59
conferences (ADR), 15, 18, 19, 21, 30, 35, 36, 41, 204
number of, 172
timeliness of first, 30–1, 35
consultancies, 53
Council of Australasian Tribunals, 3, 48
D
decisions, 18, 29
decisions of interest, 181–92 
timeliness of delivery, 30, 31, 35
Deputy Presidents, 13, 15
additional functions, 36–7
Executive Deputy Presidents, 15
number of, 14
disability reporting, 201
District Registrars, 15, 16
E
electronic service delivery/eServices, 43
environmental performance, 200–01 
equal employment opportunity statistics, 146
ethical standards, 54–5 
external scrutiny of Tribunal, 33–4
expert evidence, 
guidelines, 20
F
Family Court of Australia, 4, 13, 14, 55
Federal Court of Australia, 4, 8, 13, 14, 15, 48, 55
appeals to, 33, 173–5 
Federal Circuit Court of Australia, 33, 175
fees, 178–180
financial management, 6, 52
fraud control, 53–4
freedom of information, 12, 33–4
applications relating to, 167
Information Publication Scheme, 34
merits review of decisions, transfer to the Tribunal, 6, 47
practice direction, 20
requests to the Tribunal, 33
G
guides, 19–20
guidelines
alternative dispute resolution, 7, 20, 43
practice and procedure, 19–20
website accessibility, 21
H
hearings, 15, 18, 19, 20, 29, 35, 40, 41, 205
constitution of tribunals for, 173
number of, 172–3
timeliness of, 30–1, 32
human resource management, 56–62
I
information and records management, 6, 7, 8, 41–2, 64
information technology, see technology services
integrated dispute resolution, 3, 6, 9, 42
international relationships, 49
delegations, 49
International Association of Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions, 49
interpreting services, 21
J
judicial review of decisions, 33, 173–5
jurisdiction  
Administrative Appeals Tribunal, of, 12–13, 148–60
changes to, 6, 12, 47
L
learning and development, 9, 58–60
National Conference, 3, 9, 42, 58
legal advice schemes, 21
legal and policy services, 63
library and information services, 63
M
market research, 200
mediation, 18, 35, 205
accreditation of mediators, 43 
number of, 172
members, 13–15, 116–18
additional functions, 36–7
appointment of, 4, 13–14
changes to membership, 4, 118
number of, 14
professional development, 9, 58–9
profiles, 119–45
N
National Disability Insurance Scheme
applications, 6, 18, 29, 162
decisions of interest, 185–6
engagement activities, 40, 45, 197–9 
management of applications, 2, 5, 7, 18–19
practice direction, 2, 19
neutral evaluation, 18, 205
number of, 172
Norfolk Island, 12, 15, 49
applications, 168
jurisdiction of Administrative Appeals Tribunal, 13, 47, 159–60
O
occupational health and safety, see work health and safety
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, 6, 34, 47
outcome and program information, 29–30
resourcing tables, 176–7
Outreach program, 20, 35, 205
P
Parliamentary committees, 33
performance
deliverables, 29
highlights and achievements, 7–9
key performance indicators, 29
results, 29–30
practice and procedure, 18–19
changes to, 40–2
guides to, 19–20
guidelines, 19–20
practice directions, 19–20
President, 13, 15, 17
additional functions, 36–7
overview by, 2–4
profile of, 119
presidential members, 13, 14
additional functions, 36–7
Principal Registry, 15
staff, 146
proceeds of crime examinations, 37
productivity gains, 62
professional development, see learning and development
property, 6, 8, 55
purchasing, 52–3
R
Registrar, 14
review by, 5–6
registries, 3, 15
contact details, inside front cover
energy consumption, 201
new accommodation, 6, 8, 55
staff, 146
risk management, 53–4
S
security, 6, 8, 55
self-represented parties, 21, 35
Senior Executive Service officers
Executive Directors, 14
remuneration, 57
Senior Members, 13, 15
additional functions, 36–7
number of, 14
Service Charter, 21, 34–6
service standards, 34–5 
Small Taxation Claims Tribunal
appeals against decisions of, 173
applications, 25, 27–8, 164
fees, 178–80
outcomes of appeals finalised, 174
outcomes of applications finalised, 170–1
timeliness, 31–2 
social security
appeals against decisions of Tribunal, 173
applications, 25–6, 162
outcomes of appeals finalised, 174
outcomes of applications finalised, 170–1
timeliness, 31–2 
speeches and presentations, 193–5
staff, 13, 14, 15
administrative structure, 16
changes to staff, 6, 57
learning and development, 9, 58–60
number of, 56, 146–7 
performance management, 58
salary and remuneration, 57, 147
studies assistance, 59
T
taxation, see also Small Taxation Claims Tribunal and Taxation Appeals Division
applications, 27–8, 163–4
Taxation Appeals Division
appeals against decisions of Tribunal, 173
applications, 25, 27–8, 163–4 
outcomes of appeals finalised, 174
outcomes of applications finalised, 170–1
timeliness, 3, 7, 31–2 
technology services, 64
time standards, 30–2
tribunals,
liaison with other Commonwealth tribunals, 47–8
resource-sharing arrangements, 48–9
U
users of the Tribunal, 40–6
see also accessibility of Tribunal and communication 
V
veterans’ affairs
appeals against decisions of Tribunal, 173
applications, 25, 26, 162
outcomes of appeals finalised, 174
outcomes of applications finalised, 170–1
timeliness, 31–2 
W
warrants, 36–7
work experience placements, 8, 45, 50
work health and safety, 60–1
workers’ compensation
appeals against decisions of Tribunal, 173
applications, 25, 27, 163
outcomes of appeals finalised, 174
outcomes of applications finalised, 170–1
timeliness, 31–2
workplace diversity, 61