Media Release: Ministers unanimous in calls for institutions to join Redress Scheme

All states and territories have joined Federal Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher, to urge non-government institutions to fast-track entry into the National Redress Scheme.

Mr Fletcher hosted the first Ministers’ Redress Scheme Governance Board meeting in Sydney this week and said the message to non-government institutions was clear.

“The biggest constraint on offers of redress being made to survivors is that many institutions have not yet joined the Scheme,” Mr Fletcher said.

“Everybody around the table expressed the strong view that this needs to happen as soon as possible because of the impact of delay on survivors of abuse.

“The communique from the meeting highlighted the shared view of Ministers about the importance of institutions joining the scheme as soon as possible. 

“The Board indicated that it intends to start public reporting on the Scheme early in the New Year, including naming institutions that have, and have not, joined.”

Participating in the Board meeting were Attorneys-General Mark Speakman (NSW), Jill Hennessy (VIC), Elise Archer (TAS), Natasha Fyles (NT), Vickie Chapman (SA), John Quigley (WA), Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women, and for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Di Farmer (QLD) and Acting Director General of ACT Justice and Community Safety, Richard Glenn.

The Board’s formation was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and provides governance and oversight of the Scheme, which started on 1 July 2018.

The Board noted that as Monday 10 December 2018, 11 non-government institutions had started in the Scheme, 21 payments had been made and 12 offers for redress were with applicants for consideration.  

Mr Fletcher said he hoped to make an announcement about another group of non-government institutions joining soon.