Awaiting decision 0 5 38 Total number of appeals lodged 79 78 70 Historical appeals data is adjusted as outcomes are determined. This year we audited the number of appeals and outcomes during the past two resulting in minor adjustments to previously reported totals. Complaints about VCAT People can make a complaint by completing a complaint form and sending it to VCAT with supporting material. The complaint form is a statutory declaration which must be formally witnessed by a Justice of the Peace or other person authorised by section 107A of the Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1958. Complaints may be about: the quality of the service received from a VCAT member the conduct of VCAT registry and administrative staff the conduct of VCAT members/mediators VCAT’s processes or procedures our provision of services. We do not address complaints about: the merits of a case errors or mistakes in decisions, or other legal grounds. Complaints and information about them are confidential. We receive and manage complaints in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. Complaints outcomes We investigate and decide whether a complaint is: dismissed – the complaint raised issues that can only be decided by the Supreme Court, for example, about the outcome or the manner in which a member conducted the hearing substantiated – we take steps to fix the problem, when possible, or to make sure it will not happen again unsubstantiated – the complaint was not based in fact, or was without grounds. Complaints outcomes 2016-17 Complaint about Dismissed Substantiated Unsubstantiated Pending Member/mediator 8 9 15 1 Staff 0 3 2 0 Administrative process 1 21 34 2 Decision 66 1 42 0 Other 1 0 32 0 Total 76 34 125 3 Type of complaint Complaint about 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Member/mediator 163 108 67 33 16 6 5 5
The new VCAT fee structure introduced on 1 July 2016 removed monetary limits on major case applications, set up to speed dispute resolution. There was a 130 per cent increase in the number of major case applications and five per cent fewer standard claims. We sent 53 per cent more cases to compulsory conferences, and resolved more through this process, reflecting VCAT’s focus on resolution by alternative dispute resolution. A rise in new land valuation matters is partly due to a cycle of local government property valuations for rates – these are conducted every two years. The small number of land acquisition applications means that a relatively small increase in volume (from seven applications to 15) shows as a large statistical variation (114 per cent). Cases Caseflow 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Initiations 2,729 2,695 2,878 7% Finalisations 2,333 2,781 2,517 -9% Pending 1,349 1,246 1,605 29% Clearance Rate 85% 103% 87% n/a Timeliness of Finalised Cases 2014-15 2015-16 weeks 2016-17 weeks Variance Median 23 25 26 n/a 80th Percentile 30 32 33 n/a Initiations 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Planning and Environment 2,631 2,619 2,800 7% Land Valuation 98 76 78 3% Total 2,729 2,695 2,878 7% Finalisations 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Planning and Environment 2,248 2,665 2,446 -8% Land Valuation 85 116 71 -39% Total 2,333 2,781 2,517 -9% Pending 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Planning and Environment 1,280 1,218 1,570 29% Land Valuation 69 28 35 25% Total 1,349 1,246 1,605 29% Applications by Enabling Enactment 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Environmental Protection Act 1970 11 14 18 29% Planning and Environment Act 1987 2,606 2,568 2,758 7% Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986 9 7 15 114%
Pending 4,838 2,274 1,848 -19% Clearance Rate 98% 104% 101% n/a Timeliness of Finalised Cases 2014-15 weeks 2015-16 weeks 2016-17 weeks Variance Median 3 2 2 n/a 80th Percentile 7 5 4 n/a Target n/a n/a n/a 6 Applications by Enabling Enactment 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Residential Tenancies Act 1997 56,048 53,405 51,861 -3% Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 3,130 2,999 2,507 -16% Others 6 8 183 2188% Total 59,184 56,412 54,551 -3% Highest number of applications by Case Type 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Possession and rent 12,586 11,824 11,253 -5% Bond – unpaid rent and loss or damage or both – Landlord 9,973 9,512 9,143 -4% Bond and compensation – Landlord 6,696 6,160 5,734 -7% Possession, rent and bond 5,873 5,554 5,264 -5% Applications by Applicant Type 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Director of Housing 12,936 12,172 10,799 -11% Landlords represented by estate agents or property managers 38,794 36,520 34,785 -5% Private landlords 2,537 2,653 2,770 4% Tenants or residents 3,931 4,038 5,135 27% Others 986 1,029 1,062 3% Total 59,184 56,412 54,551 -3%
Timeliness of Finalised 2014-15 weeks 2015-16 weeks 2016-17 weeks Variance Median 26 22 19 n/a 80th Percentile 63 56 49 n/a Initiations (Details) 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Freedom of Information Act 1982 86 105 126 20% Transport Accident Act 1986 453 330 225 -32% Others 522 574 643 12% Total 1,061 1,009 994 -1% Finalisations (Details) 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Freedom of Information Act 1982 103 79 109 38% Transport Accident Act 1986 581 426 274 -36% Others 501 534 637 19% Total 1,185 1,039 1,020 -2% Pending (Details) 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Variance Freedom of Information Act 1982 39 63 75 19% Transport Accident Act 1986 305 195 200 3% Others 266 282 272 -4% 610 540 547 1% Appendices Financial information Comprehensive operating statement for the financial year 30 June 2017 Income from transactions Note 2015- 16 ($’000) 2016- 17 ($’000) Output appropriations 12,366 14,717 Special appropriations 14,997 16,082 Grants 1 17,891 18,591 Other income 0 0 Total income from transactions 45,255 49,391
Workforce data composition by gender, age and classification June 2015-16 Gender Ongoing employees Head count Ongoing employees Full time equivalent Fixed term Full time equivalent Male 47 47 6.5 Female 142 133.4 18.4 Total 189 180.4 24.9 Age Ongoing employees Head count Ongoing employees Full time equivalent Fixed term Full time equivalent Under 25 25 24 12.3 25 - 34 56 56.4 7 35 - 44 25 23.9 1.6 45 - 54 44 40.6 3 55 - 64 35 31.7 1 Over 64 4 3.8 0 Total 189 180.4 24.9 Classification Ongoing employees Head count Ongoing employees Full time equivalent Fixed term Full time equivalent VPS 2 115 109.9 17.9 VPS 3 37 34.4 0 VPS 4 18 17.6 1 VPS 5 10 9.6 5 VPS 6 8 8 1 VPS 7 0 0 0 Executive Officer 3 1 1 0 Executive Officer 2 0 0 0 *All figures reflect average June payroll each year. The figures exclude those persons on leave without pay or absent on secondment, external contractors/ consultants and temporary staff employed by employment agencies. ‘Ongoing employee’ means people engaged on open-ended contracts of employment and executive officers on a standard executive contract who were active in the last pay period of June. Judicial officers are not included. Staff composition by gender, age and classification June 2016-17 Gender Ongoing employees Head Ongoing employees Full time equivalent Fixed term Full time equivalent Male 49 47.9 11.7 Female 148 135.8 22.2 197 183.7 33.9