Fair Trading Minister, Linda Burney, today visited the Newcastle Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) to launch the first in a series of educational tools to help people access the Tribunal’s services.

Ms Burney said the Tribunal offers cheap, effective and fast access to justice for NSW residents. 

“People seeking the assistance of the CTTT in the resolution of a dispute should be well prepared, particularly if it is their first contact with the legal system and they are without legal representation,” Ms Burney said.

“The 10 Top Tips for Conciliation and fact sheet are important because they explain the benefits of conciliation and the procedure people have to go through.

“Conciliation was selected to be the first of the educational materials to be produced because up to 80 per cent of matters where both parties appear are now finalised by conciliation.

“Recent research has highlighted that better information on the conciliation process may lift this number even higher.”

Conciliation produces negotiated, mutually acceptable agreements where both parties have ownership of the result of the dispute.

“Over 130,000 people across NSW access the CTTT each year. Dispute resolution can be a very stressful experience for many people, particularly if they are not fully aware of what to expect,” Ms Burney said.

“These easy-to-understand fact sheets will be a great tool in assisting people to access the justice system.

“As part of the CTTT’s commitment to constant improvement it conducted research to assess its service delivery.

“The only way to improve services is to ask the users for feedback and suggestions.

“The research showed that consumers wanted tips and advice on what to expect and how to participate in the process.

“The fact sheets provide information in a simple, easily digestible format and on a ‘need to know’ basis.”

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