Their Courage, Our Responsibility: National Redress Scheme Committee tables report
Parliament of Australia
The Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme has today tabled a report in Parliament, following a year-long inquiry into the continuing operation of the Scheme. The report – Their Courage, Our Responsibility: The continuing operation of the National Redress Scheme and Australia's commitment to survivors – draws on evidence and experiences shared with the Committee by victim-survivors, redress support service providers, participating institutions, researchers and government agencies.
The Committee made 31 recommendations aimed at strengthening the Scheme's operation as its conclusion draws near, supporting victim-survivors beyond its closure, and ensuring that the lessons that have been learned since its commencement are preserved as part of the Scheme’s enduring legacy. Most significantly, the Committee recommended that the application deadline for the Scheme be extended from 30 June 2027 until 31 December 2027, and that the Scheme not be closed until all applications have been processed.
Committee Chair, Ms Jodie Belyea MP, said the National Redress Scheme is a unique undertaking, unparalleled internationally in both its scale and complexity. ‘Over the past eight years, the Scheme has been a critical avenue for recognition, support and redress for thousands of victim-survivors. For many, it has been life-changing,’ Ms Belyea said. ‘Equally, many applicants find the process deeply challenging.’
The Redress Scheme has been placed under pressure by sustained demand for redress and growing application volumes. The Committee has focused on how those pressures can be addressed in a trauma-informed, victim-focused way, including how victim-survivors are supported as the Scheme moves towards closure and beyond.
‘The experiences of survivors and the knowledge gained through the operation of the Scheme are a vital part of our broader national reckoning with institutional child sexual abuse,’ Ms Belyea said. ‘The Committee is intent on ensuring that the Scheme closes safely and responsibly, and that victim-survivors continue to receive the support they need.’
More information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference and submissions, can be found on the inquiry webpage.
Media inquiries
Office of Ms Jodie Belyea MP
03 9781 2333
0417 444 391
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For background information
Committee Secretariat
02 6277 4549
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