The Australian Government has appointed former Commonwealth Ombudsman, Mr Michael Manthorpe PSM to lead the Eighth Anniversary Review of the National Redress Scheme.
The independent review will help identify opportunities to strengthen outcomes for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and ensure they have access to appropriate, timely and trauma-informed support.
Mr Manthorpe will examine the overall operation of the scheme and provide advice on ways to improve the Scheme’s administration and application processing, which could be through legislation, policy or operational processes.
Commencing on 1 July 2026, the review will take account of issues raised in previous reviews and inquiries, including reports from the Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme. The voices of survivors will be paramount in the review.
The findings, expected later this year, will help inform the Government’s next steps – including how to conclude the Scheme by the legislated closure date in two years, and how best to support survivors beyond 2028.
Applying for redress can be a daunting and deeply personal process. Ensuring survivors have access to practical, timely and trauma‑informed support remains a central priority.
That’s why we have committed more than $274 million through to 2027-28 for Redress Support Services and Knowmore legal services, ensuring applicants can access the assistance they need throughout the process.
This is one of several significant steps the Government has taken to improve the Scheme, including:
- clear and trauma-informed communication with applicants
- accelerating application outcomes
- streamlining less complex applications, and
