What is conciliation?
Conciliation is an informal, private meeting to help the parties consider possible options to reach an agreement.
If the application has not been finalised during the conference process, we might hold conciliation. Conciliation is conducted by a Conciliator, and attended by you and the representative of the decision-maker.
Where will the conciliation be held?
At an AAT office, however you can attend in person or by telephone.
We will write to you with the date, time and location of the conciliation.
How can I prepare for the conciliation?
- you can use the Conciliation preparation toolkit [PDF, 235KB] to help you think about what outcome you want, and what you can negotiate and compromise on. It does not need to be given to us or another party, and is also available to use online.
- come willing and prepared to reach agreement, if possible
- bring any new information you have not already given us.
What happens at conciliation?
The AAT Conference Registrar or Member will give the parties an opportunity to:
- discuss the issues in the case from your perspective
- discuss information about the case and hear each other’s point of view
- consider possible options for reaching your own agreement
- record facts or issues where there is agreement, saving time at a hearing
- discuss what happens next, if full agreement cannot be reached.
Check Confidentiality in ADR processes for information about confidentiality at conciliation.
What happens if I cannot attend the conciliation?
You should tell us as soon as possible and we might be able to change the date.
If you do not attend the conciliation and you do not have a good reason, we might dismiss the review.
Other ADR processes
We can also use other types of alternative dispute resolution processes to help parties reach an agreement before a hearing.