What the National Redress Scheme inquiry means for survivors

Oct 16

4 min read

Content note: this article discusses childhood sexual abuse and the systems that respond to it.

This month, a Joint Standing Committee of the Australian Parliament released the report of its inquiry into the continuing operation of the National Redress Scheme. It’s called Their Courage, Our Responsibility. If you’re a survivor of institutional abuse, or you support someone who is, here is what it says and why it matters.

The Scheme has been bigger than anyone expected

When the Scheme began in 2018, around 60,000 people were expected to apply. The committee reports that more than 85,000 applications have now been received, and that the total could reach 109,000. The Chair, who is herself a survivor, wrote that these numbers show how widespread the abuse was and how many people carried it in silence for years.

The Scheme is approaching its closing dates

The Scheme was designed to close to new applications on 30 June 2027 and to finish operating on 30 June 2028. The committee heard that the Scheme is under real pressure as those dates get closer. Survivors and support services described long waits, difficulty getting records, and processes that could feel overwhelming and retraumatising.

What this means for applications already lodged

If you’ve already applied, or you apply before the current deadline of 30 June 2027, the committee’s position is clear. It recommends that the Scheme keep operating beyond 30 June 2028 for as long as it takes to process and finalise every application received. It also recommends more resourcing for the Department of Social Services so applications can be assessed in a timely, trauma-informed way.

These are recommendations to government, so the current dates stand until the government responds. The practical message for survivors is to get your application in, with support, rather than wait.

What the committee recommended

The report makes 31 recommendations. The ones most relevant to survivors are:

More time to apply. The application deadline should move to 31 December 2027, with a 12-month community awareness campaign starting in January 2027.
Every lodged application finalised. The Scheme should stay open past mid-2028 until all applications received have been processed.
A preliminary application option. From 1 January 2027, survivors could lodge a basic application showing a genuine intention to seek redress, then complete it within a set period.
Trauma-informed practice throughout. This includes mandatory training for Independent Decision Makers on grooming and predatory behaviours, and a Chief Independent Decision Maker to oversee consistency and fairness.
Better promotion of counselling and psychological care. The committee wants closure communications to actively promote counselling and Direct Personal Responses, because uptake of both has been lower than it should be.
Funding for support services. This covers redress support and legal support services now, and a long-term funding model for specialist services such as counselling, legal assistance and advocacy after the Scheme ends.
Protections from exploitative legal practices, including limits on legal fees and a ban on claim farming.
Pathways for people left out. The committee called for clearer eligibility for people placed in kinship care under government oversight, and for consideration of survivors excluded by age rules or whose experiences sit between family and institutional abuse. It also recommended exploring a voluntary redress scheme and a permanent national body for survivors of child sexual abuse.

Healing doesn’t follow a timetable

One line in the Chair’s foreword stayed with us: there is no end date for healing and recovery. Survivors come forward when they’re ready, sometimes after decades, and trauma responses can resurface through parenthood, illness, ageing, grief or relationship stress.

If you’re not ready yet, that’s okay. It’s still worth knowing the dates, so the decision stays yours.

If you’re thinking about applying

If you’ve been unsure, it’s worth finding out where you stand. Free redress support services and legal services can help you understand eligibility and prepare an application. You don’t have to be certain about the outcome to ask questions.

Counselling and psychological care is also part of redress. If you’ve received an outcome, or are eligible, you may be able to access funded counselling. At Mend, we support clients to navigate this in Victoria, NSW and QLD, depending on eligibility.

How we can help

Mend is a specialist counselling service for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma, offered online and by phone. Our approach follows the Blue Knot Foundation’s practice guidelines, with a neurobiological and somatic lens. Trauma work with us doesn’t mean having to retell your story. You set the pace.

To book, or to ask whether your counselling could be funded, contact us at hello@mendmelbourne.com.au or 0415 202 261, or visit www.mendmelbourne.com.au.

If you need support, the Blue Knot Helpline and Redress Support Service is free and can be reached on 1300 657 380, 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week (AEST/AEDT). Outside those hours, Lifeline is available 24 hours a day on 13 11 14.

Source: Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme, “Their Courage, Our Responsibility” (October 2026).