Hearing Arrangements (PPL - Employer matters)
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SSAT Hearings
Hearings can be held in a number of convenient ways. The method
of conducting the hearing (whether face-to-face, by telephone or
video-conference) does not affect the process or outcome.
To ensure the accessibility of its services to those living
outside metropolitan areas, the SSAT also conducts hearings in
regional centres throughout the country, by telephone or by
video-conference.
Please contact your nearest SSAT registry to discuss the most
suitable hearing method for your review.
Face-To-Face Hearings
Most SSAT hearings are conducted face-to-face with the applicant
and the SSAT member in the same room. However, there are regional
variations.
The hearing is held in a room in the SSAT offices. The hearing
room arrangement is professional but not formal. The member usually
sits at a table with you. Hearings are not open to members of the
public so there will usually be no-one else present in the hearing
room, unless an interpreter is arranged or an applicant brings a
support person with them. Centrelink is not present at the hearing
although in rare cases the Tribunal might wish to speak to someone
from Centrelink about the case - that would usually be done by
phone.
Telephone Hearings
In appropriate cases, telephone hearings provide an alternative
to face-to-face or video-conference hearings. These hearings are
held when parties are not able to attend the hearing in person. The
SSAT member will call using a telephone with a loudspeaker so that
everyone in the hearing room can hear the conversation.
To prepare for your telephone hearing, make sure the telephone you
will use for the hearing is in a quiet, private room, with no
distractions. If possible, make sure you won't be interrupted
during the call. Think about whether you will need to use a
telephone with a loudspeaker, so that other people with you can
speak to and hear the member. Although a mobile telephone number
can be used, it is preferable if you can use a landline telephone.
There is less risk of interference or that the line will "drop out"
during the hearing. If using a mobile telephone please ensure that
it is fully charged before the hearing.
Your Case Manager can provide you with information at each step in
the review process, including how your review can be heard by
telephone.
Video-conference Hearings
Where available, hearings by video-conference provide an
alternative to telephone or face-to-face hearings. These hearings
are held over a video link when parties are not able to attend the
hearing in person. This means that parties are able to see and hear
the SSAT member (and any other parties present) in the hearing
room.
As with all methods of hearings, a Case Manager will provide you
with information at each step in the review process.
Regional Hearings
To ensure the accessibility of its services to those living
outside metropolitan areas, the SSAT may conduct hearings in
regional centres throughout the country.
Centrelink review hearings have been conducted in centres such as
Launceston in Tasmania, Orange and Broken Hill in New South Wales,
Cairns and Toowoomba in Queensland, Bunbury and Mandurah in Western
Australia, Bendigo in Victoria, Mt Gambier in South Australia and
Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
If you live in a regional centre, please contact an SSAT registry
in the Capital City nearest you to discuss the most suitable
hearing method for your review.