Applying for Conciliation - Form 22

I couldn’t disagree with you more.

As Commissioner, I know that the Conciliation Service of my Office would have success rates of up to 75%. That’s as much as ¾ of all conciliation matters not proceeding to adjudication. I saw plenty of committees start out with a position of “no pets” only to end up agreeing to an animal by the end of the conciliation session.

Moreover, your comment that it’s a waste of money doesn’t make sense, when you consider that the application fee for conciliation is under $100.

Finally, I don’t think it’s fair for you to label all committees as enjoying the power and control of being on committees. Are some committees dysfunctional? Yes. Do some committee members do the wrong thing? Absolutely. But all of them? Hardly.

Committees are made up of volunteers and the vast majority of them do the right thing. I’d be saying to you that if you don’t like the way your committee does things, then :

1. properly monitor and challenge, if necessary, their decisions
2. put up a motion to replace those committee members you don’t think are doing the job right and


3. put up your hand to be on the committee yourself.

Chris Irons Hynes Legal E: chris.irons@hyneslegal.com.au P: 07 3193 0500