NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT)http://www.ncat.nsw.gov.au/ncat/index.html commenced on 1 January 2014 pursuant to the NSW Civil and Administrative Act 2013 and Civil and Administrative Regulation 2013.

The NCAT takes over the functions of 22 former state tribunals, including:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Tribunal
Aboriginal Land Councils Pecuniary Interest and Disciplinary Tribunal
Administrative Decisions Tribunal
Charity Referees
Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal
Dental Tribunal
Guardianship Tribunal
Chinese Medicine Tribunal
Chiropractic Tribunal
Medical Radiation Practice Tribunal
Medical Tribunal
Nursing and Midwifery Tribunal
Occupational Therapy Tribunal
Optometry Tribunal
Osteopathy Tribunal
Pharmacy Tribunal
Physiotherapy Tribunal
Podiatry Tribunal
Psychology Tribunal
Local Government Pecuniary Interest and Disciplinary Tribunal
Local Land Boards
Victims Compensation Tribunal (transferred into the ADT in June 2013)
Vocational Training Appeals Panel.

The NCAT is constituted by a President (a Supreme Court judge), Deputy Presidents of each of the four divisions, a Principal Registrars and Members including Principal Member, Senior Members and General Members.

The NCAT has four divisions:

Administrative and Equal Opportunity, which deals with review of administrative decisions of government agencies and resolution of discrimination matters.
Consumer and Commercial, which deals with a broad number of disputes about the supply of goods and services, including agent commissions and fees; agricultural tenancies; boarding houses; consumer claims; conveyancing costs; dividing fences; holiday parks (long-term occupancy); home building; motor vehicles; pawnbrokers and second-hand dealers; residential parks; retail leases; retirement villages; social housing; strata and community schemes; tenancy; travel compensation fund appeals.
Guardianship, which has jurisdiction over people who live in NSW or hold property or financial assets in NSW: to make guardianship orders for the appointment of a private or public guardian; make financial orders for a private or public financial manager; provide consent for medical or dental treatment; review enduring powers of attorney; review an enduring guardianship appointment; approve a clinical trial involving people with decision-making disabilities.
Occupational, including: administrative review of licensing decisions with respect to transport drivers/operators, security guards, builders, real estate agents, motor dealers and repairers, pawnbrokers and second hand dealers, stock and station agents, business agents, travel agents, valuers and licenced conveyancers; professional discipline of occupations governed by a statutory council, board, panel or authority.

The current President is Justice Robertson Wright SC and the Deputy-Presidents are Magistrate Nancy Hennessy, Mr M D Schyvens, Mr Stuart Westgarth, The Hon. Wayne Haylen QC and Judge Kevin O’Connor AM.

The principal registry is located at Level 9, John Maddison Tower, 86-90 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000, tel 1300 006 228.

The divisional registries are:

Administrative and Equal Opportunity: Level 10, John Maddison Tower, 86-90 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000.
Consumer and Commercial: Level 12, 175 Castlereagh Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (also at Liverpool, Hurstville, Newcastle, Penrith, Tamworth and Wollongong).
Guardianship: Level 3, 2a Rowntree Street Balmain NSW 2041.
Occupational: Level 10, John Maddison Tower, 86-90 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000.