Administrative Appeals Tribunal 
Annual Report 2015–16

This report
An electronic version of this annual report is on the AAT’s website at
http://www.aat.gov.au/about-the-aat/corporate-information/annual-reports. 
More information about the Tribunal is on the website, www.aat.gov.au.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2016

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Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Annual Report 2015–16.
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Administrative Appeals Tribunal
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Email: communications@aat.gov.au
ISSN 1035-8161 (Print) 
ISSN 2205-2836 (Online)
Designed by giraffe.com.au 
Printed by CanPrint Communications

Contents
CHAPTER 1 // The year in review	10
President’s overview	10
Registrar’s review	13
CHAPTER 2 // Overview of the AAT	15
Our role and function	15
Our outcome, programme and purpose	16
Our organisation	16
Our processes	20
Additional functions conferred on AAT members	21
Chapter 3 // Our performance	23
Annual performance statement	23
Financial performance	25
Caseload overview	25
Operation of divisions	28
External scrutiny	36
Service to users	38
Chapter 4 // Management and accountability	43
Corporate governance	43
Management of human resources	45
Purchasing	50
Chapter 5 // Immigration Assessment Authority	52
Role and function	52
Structure of the IAA	52
Steps in a review	52
Performance	53
Financial Statements	54
Appendices	99
Appendix 1: Members of the AAT	99
Appendix 2: Additional staffing statistics	118
Appendix 3: Resourcing tables	119
Appendix 4: Additional caseload statistics	121
Appendix 5: Other mandatory information	129
Appendix 6: Speeches, publications and other external activities	131
Appendix 7: List of requirements	136
End matter	140
Glossary	140
Index	144

List of figures 
Chapters 
Figure 2.1 Organisational structure, 30 June 2016	17
Table 2.2 Tribunal membership, 30 June 2016a	18
Table 2.3 Division Heads and Deputy Division Heads, 30 June 2016	18
Table 2.4	Senior Executive Service employees, 30 June 2016	19
Table 2.5 Applications relating to warrants, controlled operations and other functions, 
2013–14 to 2015–16	21
Table 2.6	Examinations held under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, 2013–14 to 2015–16	22
Chart 3.1 Total applications lodged, finalised and on hand, 2013–14 to 2015–16	26
Chart 3.2 Applications lodged, finalised and on hand, 2015–16 – By division	27
Chart 3.3 Mode of finalisation of applications for review of decisions, 2015–16a	28
Table 3.4 Caseload overview, 2015–16 – FOI, General, NDIS, Security, Taxation and Commercial 
and Veterans’ Appeals Divisions	28
Table 3.5 Caseload overview, 2015–16 – Migration and Refugee Division	30
Chart 3.6 Refugee lodgements and finalisations by country of origin, 2015–16	31
Chart 3.7 Migration lodgements and finalisations by key visa categories, 2015–16	32
Table 3.8 Caseload overview, 2015–16 – Social Services and Child Support Division	33
Chart 3.9 Centrelink lodgements and finalisations by key payment types, 2015–16	34
Chart 3.10 Child support lodgements and finalisations by key decision types, 2015–16	34
Table 3.11 Court appeals lodged and finalised, 2015–16 – By divisiona	36
Table 3.12 Performance against Service Charter standards, 2015–16	40
Table 3.13 Issues raised in complaints to the AAT, 2015–16	41
Table 4.1 Workforce profilea	45
Table 4.2	Salary range and employment arrangements	47
Table 4.3 Trends in compensation claims, 2013–14 to 2015–16	49
Table 4.4	Total actual expenditure on consultancy contracts, 2013–14 to 2015–16	51
Table 5.1 Caseload overview, 2015–16 – Immigration Assessment Authority	53
Chart 5.2 Referrals to the IAA by country of origin, 2015–16	53
Appendixes
Table A1.1 Members of the AAT, 30 June 2016	54
Table A1.2 Number of Senior Members and Members assigned to each AAT division, 30 June 2016	64
Table A2.1 Staff by job classification, registry and gender, 30 June 2016a	73
Table A3.1 AAT resource statement 2015–16	74
Table A3.2 Expenses for Outcome	74
Table A4.1 Applications lodged and applications finalised, 2015–16	76
Table A4.2 Outcomes of reviews by division and major areas of work within divisions, 2015–16	79
Subtable A4.2.1 General Division	79
Subtable A4.2.2 Freedom of Information, National Disability Insurance Scheme, Security and 
Veterans’ Appeals Divisionsa	79
Subtable A4.2.3 Migration and Refugee Division	80
Subtable A4.2.4 Social Services and Child Support Divisiona	81
Subtable A4.2.5 Taxation and Commercial Divisiona	81
Table A4.3 Number of alternative dispute resolution processes, directions hearings and hearings, 
2013–14 to 2015–16	82
Table A4.4 Court appeals lodged and finalised, 2015–16 - By division and major areas of work 
within divisionsa	82
Table A5.1 Environmental performance reporting, 2015–16	84
Table A6.1 Speeches and presentations, 2015–16	86
Table A6.2 Training and other engagement activities, 2015–16	88
Table A6.3 Publications, 2015–16	89
Table A6.4 Service on committees, 2015–16	89