One element that helps the Commission to achieve satisfactory outcomes is complainants and respondents who engage positively to resolve their matters in good faith. I offer my sincere thanks to those people who have engaged in our processes this year in such a manner.
In the 2023-24 financial year the Commission has had a period of stabilisation which is evident in the outcomes achieved by its individual sections.
The Strategy and Engagement team, now in its third year of formation, provided outreach and training to 2,402 people in most regions across Western Australia.
The Commission is grateful to all the organisations that have worked with us in 2023-24, allowing us to collaborate on complaints clinics, information stalls, events, and information clinics to provide greater reach across the largest state in the country.
Following previous years’ public discourse around sexual harassment and racial harassment, organisations are now focusing their attention on assessing organisational risk in these areas and as such the community education and training officers presented Equal Opportunity Law to 474 people as the most attended course at the Commission.
This period of stabilisation has also allowed the Conciliation Services team to further improve the complaints process through the Integrated Courts Management System.
Finally, I would like to thank the hard-working staff at the Commission. It makes the role of Commissioner for Equal Opportunity much more satisfying knowing I have staff so passionate about their work and unwavering in their efforts to achieve good outcomes.
Dr John Byrne AM
Western Australian Commissioner for Equal Opportunity
