For Appellants
- Assist you to find out about the appeal process and what decisions are appealable by contacting us or using this web site and/or publications about the appeal process;
- Advise you on how to appeal and how to obtain and provide the relevant support documentation. The staff of the Secretariat can help you with this as well;
- Help with the appeal hearing process if necessary by assisting you to make your case as clearly as possible and helping you to be comfortable in the process;
- Provide independent support and verification of issues raised by you where appropriate.
- Ideally advocates should encourage you to speak for yourself rather than speak for you.
- Help you consider the options available to you and put you in touch with other agencies where this may assist you with housing or other problems.
If you would like to seek the assistance of an advocate there are a range of organisations who may be able to assist, such as: Tenants Advice and Advocacy Services, Migrant Resource Centres, Community Legal Centres. See Helpful Links.
Permission for an advocate to represent you
If you want an advocate to speak on your behalf to the Housing Appeals Committee or receive copies of correspondence you will need to provide written permission to the Committee Secretariat in advance of the Committee hearing day. The Committee prefer to speak with you the client, but will speak with an Advocate if they have written permission from you.
To assist you in providing the permission we have drafted a form you may wish to use. The form is called Authority for Advocate to Represent.
The Housing Appeals Committee is not a legally based agency and therefore advocates do not provide legal support to clients. The Committee does not permit lawyers to attend hearings as it is not the appropriate forum for legal representation.