Pursuant to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009 and Dispute Resolution Branch policy and procedures, QCAT Minor Civil Disputes Advisory Mediation is a specialist area of mediation utilising an abbreviated advisory model (solo-mediation) with a maximum duration of 1.25 hours, providing disputants with a ‘last opportunity’ to exercise control over the outcome (settlement) of their dispute before a decision is imposed by the Tribunal. QCAT Minor Civil Dispute mediations are fast-paced and focus on perspective-taking, reality-testing and encourage settlement. Despite the transactional nature of QCAT minor civil disputes, 80% of participants are satisfied with the mediation outcome. The types of claims up to $25,000.00 include consumer disputes, business or contract disputes, debt- or loan related matters, motor vehicle claims and dividing fence disputes. As a QCAT MCD Advisory Mediator, my role includes:• Identifying key issues pertaining to negotiation quickly and accurately.• Facilitating exploration of issues strategically and in ways which support settlement.• Assertive communication to ensure adherence to facts and evidence in a time-limited process.• Robust reality-testing in the context of an advisory model, and appropriate option generation. • Exercising discretion as to when, how and the type of information / advice provided.• Facilitating constructive dialogue and negotiations, and settlements, often in the context of distrust, lack of goodwill, and entrenched positions.

Appointed under the Dispute Resolution Centres Act 1990, my role as a Panel Mediator for the Dispute Resolution Branch involves mediating civil / neighbourhood disputes using facilitative co-mediation and solo-mediation models. Common mediations relate to court-referred Peace and Good Behaviour applications, neighbourhood-, fence-, tree-, and interpersonal disputes, and various other civil matters. Mediations are conducted in-office as well as remotely, requiring travel to more regional areas.