New Arbitration Service
ACCS to commence Arbitration Services on 1 September 2022
ACCS is in the final stages of delivering a range of significant changes in line with the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Arbitration) Act 2021 – to provide greater certainty for injured workers in Victoria. The changes will expand our dispute resolution services to include arbitration that will complement our existing conciliation service.
The new service will commence on 1 September 2022, and will be available to workers who are injured on or after this date.
Please note, from 1 September 2022 ACCS will also be known as the Workplace Injury Commission.
About arbitration
If a matter is not resolved through conciliation, an injured worker has the option to take the matter to arbitration – which is a simpler, timelier and more cost effective alternative to court proceedings. Arbitration is available for certain disputes (including claims for weekly payments and medical and like expenses) where parties have not reached agreement in conciliation and a genuine dispute certificate has been issued.
Arbitration is an informal dispute resolution process where parties present arguments and evidence to an Arbitration Officer, who makes a binding determination. Unlike conciliation, the arbitration process does not focus on the parties coming to their own agreement. Instead, the parties are given a binding determination on the issues in dispute, which gives them certainty about their rights and obligations into the future.
More information about the service will be available on our website from 1 September 2022.