Responsibility: State and territory governments
Response:
ACT, TAS, VIC: Accept
NSW, QLD, SA, NT: Accept in principle
WA: Subject to further consideration
Australian Capital Territory
Response: Accept
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The ACT Public Trustee and Guardian fee fact sheet is on the ACT Public Trustee and Guardian website and is provided to clients when appropriate services are provided. The ACT Public Trustee and Guardian have also undertaken a fees and charges review and will review the recommendations and adopt as appropriate.
ACT government response July 2024
The ACT Public Trustee and Guardian publishes information about fees on its website. Fees are set by an annual legislative instrument. ACT Public Trustee and Guardian clients are issued with client statements and information on revenue, expenses, and fees as well as budgets for financial management clients. The relevant Disability Royal Commission recommendations will be used to drive further transparency and accessibility of this information.
New South Wales
Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
Accessible information about services, fees and charges is publicly available on the NSW Trustee and Guardian website.
NSW Trustee and Guardian are progressing work on ensuring the information provided directly to people under financial management is presented in a way that considers the diverse needs of this customer group.
NSW government response July 2024
In NSW, information about services, fees and charges are already publicly available and provided directly to people under financial management.
Fees for financial management are set out in the NSW Trustee and Guardian Regulation 2017. The NSW Trustee and Guardian also have discretion to waive or reduce fees.
Current fee structures are published on the NSW Trustee and Guardian website and are provided to people under financial management when a new order is made. Fees and charges are also recorded in a person’s transaction statement.
Northern Territory
Response: Accept in principle
Status: Further work required
What has been achieved to date
Following the completion of a review of Public Trustee fees and charges, work will be undertaken to ensure this information is easily available to the Northern Territory community and provided to represented persons alongside their annual budget.
Implementation anticipated by 2027 due to resourcing levels.
NT government response July 2024
Further consideration of this recommendation will be required to determine system and resourcing requirements and capacity.
Queensland
Response: Accept in principle
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
Queensland Public Trustee currently publishes and informs customers of its fees and charges and has recently updated its website so that information is clearer and easier to find.
QLD government response July 2024
The Queensland Government recognises the need for information and communication to be accessible for everyone. Queensland Public Trustee is committed to ensuring information about its services, fees and charges is easy to understand and will continue to explore opportunities for improving the accessibility and transparency of information provided on its website and in direct communications to customers, noting possible operational or resource implications.
South Australia
Response: Accept in principle
Status: Completed
What has been achieved to date
Current policies and practices in South Australia are consistent with this recommendation and has such it has been marked as complete.
The South Australian Public Trustee's onboarding pack for new customers is in Easy Read format. In addition, other key documents have been converted to Easy Read format and are available on the Public Trustee website.
All Public Trustee customers receive an Easy Read document explaining their Client Statement Summary via direct mailout. Ongoing consideration will be given to the conversion of other documents to Easy Read format.
The layout of customer financial statements has been reviewed for readability, as part of the implementation of the Public Trustee's new customer financial system.
SA government response July 2024
All fees and charges are set in the Public Trustee (Fees) Variation Regulations 2019 made under the Public Trustee Act 1995. The South Australian Public Trustee Personal Estates Fees and Charges document has both regular and Easy Read versions available on the Public Trustee website. A Welcome Pack with an additional Easy Read version is sent to new customers. An Easy Read document titled ‘Understanding your Financial Statement’ is also available on the Public Trustee’s website and sent to customers when statements are provided.
Tasmania
Response: Accept
Status: Completed
What has been achieved to date
Public Trustee in Tasmania has accepted this recommendation and has no further update. All fees and charges are available on the Public Trustee website, including commission and management fees that apply.
TAS government response July 2024
The Tasmanian Government accepts this recommendation.
Fees and charges for Public Trustee services are available on the Public Trustee website.
Victoria
Response: Accept
Status: Completed
What has been achieved to date
The Victorian State Trustees' fees are currently published on its website. Fees chargeable for administration are approved by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and are listed in individual administration orders. All new clients are provided with a Welcome Pack which includes fees and charges for all services.
VIC government response July 2024
We accept this recommendation in full.
The Victorian State Trustees publishes its fees and charges on its website.
Western Australia
Response: Accept
Status: In progress
What has been achieved to date
The Department has commenced research and scoping work.
WA government response July 2024
The WA Government accepts this recommendation. Implementation is in progress.
What the Disability Royal Commission said in the final report
Public trustees in each state and territory should:
- publish accessible information about the services they provide to people under administration orders, the fees and charges applicable for those services and the ways in which fees are calculated for each individual
- on appointment, annually and following any significant change to a person’s circumstances, send to people under administration orders individualised and accessible information detailing the services they will receive and the fees for those services.
More recommendations
View progress on other recommendations made by the Royal Commission.