Meeting of ARC 24 November 2025 – Statement of meeting outcomes
Meeting of Administrative Review Council - 24 November 2025
Statement of meeting outcomes
Social Security Inquiry
The Council noted the progress of the Social Security Inquiry, including responses to the public consultation held between August and September 2025. A total of 15 submissions were received from individuals, applicant representatives, non-government organisations and government agencies.
The Council resolved to seek further information from relevant government agencies on several matters concerning review processes.
The Council resolved to consider the outcomes of the consultation, and next steps in the preparation of its report by June 2026, at its next meeting in February 2026.
Statement of Position
The Council noted that targeted consultation on the Draft Statement of Position had commenced, including with the Commonwealth Legal Risk Committee on 20 November 2025.
The Council noted that those consulted on the Statement of Position may need extensions of time to respond, and that may affect the Council’s intended date of publication, February 2026.
Migration Inquiry
The Council confirmed that between meetings it had approved the Migration Inquiry Issues Paper. The Council will publish the Issues Paper and information about its consultation on the ARC webpage and on Citizen Space on 28 November 2025. The Council will also invite submissions from members of the public, organisations and government agencies.
Systemic Issue Notice No 1 of 2025
- The Council considered Systemic Issue Notice No 1 of 2025 (‘Notice’) received from the President of the Administrative Review Tribunal on 16 September 2025. The Council accepted the Notice as identifying a systemic issue. The Council resolved to commence an inquiry into the systemic issue, with an early reporting date, subject to the Council’s review of the resolution (between meetings) upon receipt of the statutory responses from the Australian Taxation Office and the Department of the Treasury, due on 16 December 2025.
Guides and other reports
- The Council noted the progress of the planned new Best Practice Guide: Improving the Quality of Administrative Decision-making and will revisit this project again in 2026.
Notification of systemic issue by the public – National Disability Insurance Scheme and legal assistance
The Council considered a notification from a member of the public, received on
23 September 2025, concerning access by National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants and their families to advocacy or representation in Administrative Review Tribunal proceedings.The Council accepted the notification in accordance with its Systemic Issues Procedure.
The Council requested the Secretariat obtain more information to inform its decision in response to the notification, to be made at its February 2026 meeting.
Automated decision-making
- The Council received an update from the Attorney-General’s Department regarding its review of the use of automated decision-making.