On Wednesday 4 December 2024 the Minister for Social Services, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, chaired a meeting of the Ministers’ Redress Scheme Governance Board (the Board) via video conference, attended by Ministers responsible for the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (the Scheme) in each state or territory.
Minister Rishworth welcomed the continued commitment from all Ministers to work collaboratively on improving the Scheme for the benefit of survivors. As the 10-year Scheme is now in its seventh year of operation, Ministers acknowledged the continued increase in the number of applications to the Scheme.
The Scheme Operator provided an update on the Scheme to date, including the public naming of six non-participating institutions on 4 December 2024.
These institutions are:
- Darwin Cycling Club, Northern Territory
- New Norfolk District Football Club, Tasmania
- Townsville Indoor Sports (Wildcatz Indoor Sports) - Reby Enterprises Pty Ltd, Queensland
- Crown Coaches, Victoria
- Knox Basketball Incorporated, Victoria
- Christian Youth Camps, Western Australia
This doubles the number of named institutions from six to 12.
Minister Rishworth provided an overview of the Commonwealth’s preparations for the legislated eighth anniversary review to ensure the Scheme fulfills its critical role and ensure adequate time to consider any recommendations of the review.
Ministers agreed and discussed other matters, including:
- Agreeing, in principle, to include community-based sporting clubs and sporting organisations for Funder of Last Resort, where the Scheme has exhausted all options to engage a hierarchy institution to be a representative. This will ensure some applicants who have been waiting the entire length of the scheme will have their applications progressed.
- Agreeing amendments to the Direct Personal Response Framework to include partly-participating institutions and to increase reporting obligations on institutions. The Framework has not been updated since its establishment in 2018, the amendments will enhance the quality of delivering direct personal responses provided to survivors.
- Agreeing to form a steering committee of State and Territory officials to progress work in preparation for the eighth anniversary review. This is likely be the last review before the Scheme's legislated closure date of 30 June 2028.
Ministers acknowledged the retirement of the Hon John Quigley MLA, as the last original Redress Minister, and thanked him for his significant contributions throughout the life of the Scheme.
The next Ministers’ Redress Scheme Governance Board meeting is scheduled for mid-2025.