The Victorian Government has announced the appointment of 20 new members to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said the appointments show the Government is taking a significant step towards clearing the residential tenancy cases backlog and reducing wait times across the board.
“I congratulate our 20 new appointees who each bring a world of experience as well as a strong commitment to serving the Victorian public,” she said.
“I look forward to seeing the positive contribution these appointees make to VCAT and to ensuring Victorians continue to have access to justice in a timely manner.”
The new VCAT members are:
- Jillian Bartlett
- Michael Bevan
- Dr Louise Bygrave
- Seuna Byrne
- Jeremy Cass
- Robert Chamberlain
- Simon Cohen
- Donna D’Alessandro
- Natalie Fleming
- Renée Gorenstein
- Martin Guthrie
- Dr Adrian Hoel
- Clare Lethlean
- Nicole Maher
- Cassandra Rea
- Julia Reid
- Michael Ryall
- Jodie Stroud
- Cassandra Tanner
- Tania Wolff
Sixteen of the new appointees will start work on reducing the residential tenancies backlog early in the New Year with the backlog scheduled to be fully cleared before the end of 2024, the Attorney-General said.
The other four new members will work on the Planning and Environment lists.
The Victorian Budget 2022/23 invested more than $300 million to respond to increased demand across the justice system, including $41 million to help clear case backlogs caused by the pandemic.
The Government is also establishing Rental Dispute Resolution Victoria as part of the Housing Statement — providing a one-stop shop for renters, agents and landlords to resolve tenancy disputes.
The new appointees will start with VCAT by January 2024.
