Consultation hub

In June 2026, we sought feedback from interested stakeholders on Australia’s draft Seventh Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Australia’s draft report details actions Australian governments have taken in response to the List of Issues Prior to Reporting (LOIPR) provided by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (the Committee). The report covers the period November 2017 to August 2026. It is due to the Committee by 7 August 2026. The reporting process aims to evaluate how Australia implements its obligations under the ICCPR.

The ICCPR reporting process is an opportunity to engage with the Committee on the international stage to highlight Australia’s ongoing compliance with civil and political rights domestically and internationally, while acknowledging areas for improvement.

We received 17 submissions from a wide range of stakeholders with an interest in Australia’s human rights issues. This included:

• individuals
• human rights experts
• peak bodies
• advocates
• the legal sector
• advocacy providers
• academics
• non-government organisations
• government agencies.

We thank everyone who took the time to provide us with their feedback.

We have published submissions from authors who gave their permission.

The consultation process helps ensure the Australian Government effectively considers the views provided by the public on Australia’s draft ICCPR report. All feedback will be considered in finalising Australia’s ICCPR report and will continue to inform our preparations for Australia’s ICCPR appearance.

Between 28 November 2025 and 27 January 2026, the Administrative Review Council consulted on:

• procedures for Administrative Review Tribunal (Tribunal) review of migration and protection decisions
• aspects of the Department of Home Affairs’ primary decision-making processes.

The Council received 13 submissions from a range of stakeholders, including:

• advocacy groups and research centres
• community legal centres and other legal organisations
• members of the public
• government agencies.

Responses identified matters relevant to primary decision-making for migration and protection applications and the special procedures for reviewing those decisions. These included ways to:

• improve access to review and support effective participation
• reduce reliance on written requests and increase the use of interviews during primary decision-making
• improve communication between primary decision-makers, the Tribunal and applicants
• adopt a trauma‑informed approach when engaging with applicants
• improve the timeliness and quality of decisions.

The Council will use the feedback provided through the public consultation to inform its report and any associated recommendations. We have published submissions from authors who gave their permission.

The Council aims to publish its inquiry report by the end of the year. We thank everyone who engaged with this consultation process.

Between 9 October and 28 November 2025, we held a public consultation on the operation of amendments made by the Native Title Legislation Amendment Act 2021 (Cth) (the 2021 Amendment Act), as required by section 209A of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth). We sought views from native title sector participants to gauge support for the changes made by 2021 Amendment Act, and whether the changes are operating as intended or require any adjustments.

The department received a total of 11 submissions during the consultation period from a range of stakeholders, including:

• industry stakeholders
• state and statutory government bodies
• First Nations representative bodies
• native title representative bodies
• members of the public.

Our consultation did not reveal any widespread or systemic concerns with the changes made by the 2021 Amendment Act.

 Some participants suggested technical adjustments, including:

• resolving legislative ambiguity
• modifying procedural design to avoid unintended consequences
• providing resources and support for key system stakeholders involved in implementing the changes.

The feedback collected through this consultation informed our report, Evaluation of the Operation of Amendments Made by the Native Title Legislation Amendment Act 2021. The report was tabled in parliament on 12 May 2026. It contains details of the evaluation’s findings and concluding remarks.

Thank you to everyone involved in the consultation for your engagement, and for sharing your views and ideas.