After the hearing

You must complete an Application to reinstate proceedings.

You can get a blank copy of this form from:

• your nearest NCAT registry, or
• the Forms pages on the NCAT website.

In your form, you must:

• explain why you didn’t attend the hearing and why your case should be reinstated
• indicate whether you want your application to be heard on the papers or by oral hearing.

You need to attach any supporting documents to your application. 

You must apply within seven days of the date NCAT dismissed your case. After seven days, you may be able to ask for an extension of this time limit, however NCAT will not always agree.

To ask for an extension, you must complete part 5. Extension of time.

You can do this:

• within seven days of the date of the decision, if you won’t be able to lodge your application in time, or
• after seven days has passed.

NCAT will only grant you an extension if there are special circumstances.

You can file your completed form at your nearest NCAT registry.

You must pay a fee to have your case reinstated. For information about fees, see Fees at NCAT on the NCAT website.

To pay by credit card, you must complete a Credit card payment authority form and file it with your Application and supporting documents.

You can get a blank copy of this form from:

• your nearest NCAT registry, or
• the Forms pages on the NCAT website.

In some circumstances, you may be eligible to have your fee reduced or waived. For more information, see Reduced fees and fee waivers on the NCAT website.

Before you file your completed form, you should make a copy for yourself.

You should send your application to the registry’s postal address, not its street address. You can find the registry’s postal address on the Contact us page on the NCAT website.

If your case has been listed for an oral hearing, you can ask for an interpreter or disability support to attend the hearing if you need it.

To do this, you must complete a Request for language or disability support form.

You can get a blank copy of this form from:

• your nearest NCAT registry, or
• the Forms pages on the NCAT website.

You should file your completed form with your Application and supporting documents.

You will only need to file this form once.

NCAT will hear your case:

• based on your written material only, without holding an oral hearing – this is called a ‘hearing on the papers’, or
• by listing your case for an oral hearing.

NCAT may decide to:

• reinstate your case, or
• dismiss your application. 

If your case is reinstated, NCAT will give directions to progress your original application.

If your application is dismissed, the original orders will continue.

If NCAT decides not to reinstate your case, you may be able to appeal to the Appeal Panel.

You must complete an Application to set aside or vary Tribunal decision form.

You may also want to fill out:

• a Credit card payment authority form, or
• a Request for language or disability support form.

You can get blank copies of these forms from:

• your nearest NCAT registry, or
• the Forms pages on the NCAT website.

In your form, you must:

• state what orders you want NCAT to set aside or vary
• if you are asking NCAT to vary the orders, state what orders you want NCAT to make
• state the grounds of your application
• explain why you didn’t go to the hearing and describe the evidence and arguments you would have used at the hearing.

You need to attach any supporting documents to your application, including a written agreement with your neighbour to set aside or vary the orders.

You must apply within seven days of the date NCAT dismissed your case. After seven days, you may be able to ask for an extension of this time limit, however NCAT will not always agree.

To ask for an extension, you must complete the Extension of time section in the form.

You can do this:

• within seven days of the date of the decision, if you won’t be able to lodge your application in time, or
• after seven days has passed.

NCAT will only grant you an extension if there are special circumstances.

If you apply to set aside or vary the decision after seven days and don’t ask for an extension, your application will be dismissed.

Applying to set aside or vary the decision won’t stay (stop) the decision from being enforced. You must apply for an order to stop enforcement. 

To do this, you must complete the Stay of original decision section of the form.

You can lodge your completed form and supporting documents at your nearest NCAT registry.

You must pay a fee to have your case reinstated. For information about fees, see Fees at NCAT on the NCAT website.

To pay by credit card, you must complete a Credit card payment authority form and file it with your Application and supporting documents.

In some circumstances, you may be eligible to have your fee reduced or waived. For more information, see Reduced fees and fee waivers on the NCAT website. 

Before you file your completed form, you should make a copy for yourself.

You should send your application to the registry’s postal address, not its street address. You can find the registry’s postal address on the Contact us page on the NCAT website.

If your case has been listed for an oral hearing, you can ask for an interpreter or disability support to attend the hearing if you need it.

To do this, you must complete a Request for language or disability support form.

You can get a blank copy of this form from:

• your nearest NCAT registry, or
• the Forms pages on the NCAT website.

You should file your completed form with your Application and supporting documents.

You will only need to file this form once.

NCAT will hear your case:

• based on your written material only, without holding an oral hearing – this is called a ‘hearing on the papers’, or
• by listing your case for an oral hearing.

NCAT may decide to:

• grant your application to set aside or vary the decision, or
• dismiss your application. 

If the original decision is set aside or varied, NCAT will list your case for a new hearing and re-hear the original application.

If your application to set aside or vary is dismissed, any stay order that was made will be lifted, and the original decision will remain in force. The original decision may be enforced if you don’t comply.

If NCAT doesn’t set aside or vary the decision, you may be able to appeal to the appeals panel.

You may be able to appeal:

• on a question of law
• on any other question, with the leave (permission) of the Appeal Panel.

You need to lodge your appeal to NCAT within 28 days from when you are notified of the original decision or from when the reasons for the decision are first given (either orally or in writing), whichever is later. 

If you lodge your application after 28 days, it is up to NCAT to accept or refuse your application.

You must fill out a Notice of Appeal form.

You may also want to fill out:

• an Application for stay of original decision pending appeal form, and
• a Credit card payment authority form.

You can get a blank copy of these forms from:

• your nearest NCAT registry, or
• the Forms page on the NCAT website.

You can file your completed forms in person or by post. 

You must file:

• the original form and attachments
• two copies of your form and attachments for NCAT, and 
• one copy of your form and attachments for each respondent.

You should make a copy of your completed form and attachments before you file them.

You should send your forms to the registry’s postal address, not its street address. You can find the registry’s postal address on the Contact us page on the NCAT website.

When you file your forms, you will have to pay a filing fee. For more information, see Fees at NCAT on the NCAT website. 

To pay by credit card, you must complete a Credit card payment authority form and file it with your Notice of Appeal and supporting documents.

If you are a pensioner or student or are eligible for a grant of legal aid or assistance from a community legal centre, you can ask to have the fee waived or reduced.

To do this, you must complete a Request for fee waiver form. Your Notice of Appeal form will not be accepted until your request for a fee waiver is decided.

For more information, see Reduced fees and fee waivers on the NCAT website.

The Appeal Panel will grant you leave to appeal if it is satisfied that you may have suffered a substantial miscarriage of justice because:

• the decision was not fair and equitable
• the decision was against the weight of the evidence
• there is significant new evidence, which was not reasonably available at the time the decision was made. 

If you ask for leave to appeal, your application may be dealt with:

• before the final hearing
• at the final hearing, or
• on the papers. 

If you file your Notice of Appeal after 28 days, you must ask NCAT for an extension of time. You will need to complete section 7. Extension of time and explain why you didn’t appeal in time. NCAT will grant you an extension if it decides there are good reasons for not lodging the appeal within the 28 day time limit.

If you are not granted an extension of time, you application may be dismissed because it is out of time.

Filing a Notice of Appeal does not stay (stop) the operation of the original decision. The decision can still be enforced unless a stay order is made. You can ask for a stay order by completing an Application for stay of original decision pending appeal form.

You can ask for a stay order while you are considering whether to appeal.

Usually, you will need to attend a hearing, provide evidence and make submissions as to why a stay order should be made. The other party will also have the opportunity to provide evidence and make submissions as to why a stay order should not be made.

NCAT will not make a stay order just because you have lodged an appeal. You will need to show that there are good reasons for NCAT to make a stay order.

NCAT will consider a range of factors, including:

• the strength of your case
• whether the appeal will be useless if the order is enforced
• whether you are able to pay the ordered amount, and the other party is likely to bring bankruptcy proceedings against you
• whether the other party could repay the money if your appeal is successful.

If it is obvious that your appeal is very weak and has no real prospects of success, NCAT will likely refuse to make a stay order.

If your case has been listed for an oral hearing, you can ask for an interpreter or disability support to attend the hearing if you need it.

To do this, you must complete section 8. Hearing.

NCAT will serve a copy of your Notice of Appeal on each respondent.

After your Notice of Appeal is served, the respondent can lodge a Reply to Appeal form and any documents they want to rely on within 14 days. A copy must also be sent to you.

Your case will be listed for call over within 28 days. This is usually done by audio visual link or telephone.

At the call over, the Appeal Panel will make directions for:

• the parties to file their submissions and other material for the hearing
• the parties to file the sounding recording and transcript of the original hearing
• any preliminary matters, such as an application for stay orders or an extension of time
• your case to be referred to alternative dispute resolution (ADR), if appropriate
• the date for hearing your appeal or application for leave to appeal.

If your case resolves before or at the directions or ADR, your file will be closed.

If your matter is not resolved, your appeal will go to a hearing, or be decided on the papers.

If there is a hearing, it will usually be listed for no more than half a day. 

You should provide a copy of the sound recording and transcript from the original hearing to the Appeal Panel. This is especially important if you want to rely on something that was said at the original hearing.

You can get a copy of the sound recording by filing a Requesting for sound recording form and paying the fee.

NCAT does not prepare transcripts of its hearings, so you will have to get a transcript yourself.

You don’t need to have legal representation at the hearing. You can represent yourself.

If a lawyer represented you at the original hearing, they may represent you at the appeal hearing.

If a lawyer didn’t represent you at the original hearing, you will need to ask the Appeal Panel for leave (permission) to have a lawyer represent you during the appeal hearing. You can do this at the call over or later.

The Appeal Panel may decide your appeal:

• based on the written material only – this is called a hearing ‘on the papers’, or
• by listing your appeal for a hearing.

An appeal will only be decided on the papers where:

• both parties have agreed to that happening, or
• both parties have had the opportunity to make submissions on whether there should be an oral hearing and the Appeal Panel has decided that it is appropriate in the circumstances.

Usually, you can only rely on the evidence you produced at the original hearing. However, the Appeal Panel may decide to admit new evidence if it considers it appropriate in the circumstances.

Conduct of hearing

Generally, your appeal will be conducted in three stages:

1. you explain your case
2. the other party responds to your case
3. you reply to the other party’s submissions.

If you want to provide new evidence, the Appeal Panel will decide what procedure will be followed.

After hearing your appeal, the Appeal Panel will make such orders as it considers appropriate. It may:

• dismiss your application for leave to appeal
• dismiss your appeal
• allow your appeal and confirm or vary the decision
• allow your appeal and quash or set aside the decision
• order that your case be reconsidered in accordance with the directions of the appeal panel.

The Appeal Panel may give its on the day of the hearing or reserve its decision.

If you are unhappy with the decision of the Appeal Panel, you may be able ask for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court within 28 days. 

You can only appeal on a question of law. 

The Supreme Court can’t review the merits of the NCAT decision. That is, whether the right decision was made in the circumstances. 

The Appeal Panel may make a costs order against a party where:

• the amount of the claim is more than $30,000, or
• the amount of the claim is between $10,000 and $30,000 and the party against whom the order is to be made has unreasonably disadvantaged the other party by their conduct in proceedings, including by failing to comply with an order or direction of the Tribunal.

You are not entitled to receive costs if you are unrepresented.

You need to complete:

• Form 20 – Notice of Motion
• Form 40 – Affidavit.

You can do this:

• online, via the NSW Online Registry, or
• in writing.

You can get a copy of this form from:

• your nearest Local Court registry, or
• the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules Civil Forms website.

You can file your completed form at the registry:

• in person
• by post
• by fax
• by email.

If you file your form by post, fax or email, it won’t be processed until you have paid the filing fee.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may be able to apply to have your fee postponed, waived or remitted.

You must serve a sealed copy of your Notice of Motion and Affidavit on the other party. You can do this by:

• giving your documents to the other party in person, or
• leaving your documents in the presence of the other party, or
• arranging for the sheriff at the Court to serve your documents, or
• arranging for a private process server to serve your documents.

At the hearing, the Court will first consider whether review the order or direction of the Registrar or dismiss the application.

If the Court decides to hear your application, you need to show the Court why it is in the interests of justice to vary or discharge the order or direction.

You don’t have to show that the Registrar made an error when they made the order or direction.

If you need an interpreter at the review, you need to arrange this yourself.

Multicultural NSW provides interpreting and translation services for a fee. If you receive a pension or Centrelink benefit, or have a low income, you may be eligible to have the fee waived. For more information, see Language Services on the Multicultural NSW website.

If your review is successful, the cost of the interpreter may be included in the costs that the other party pays to you.

After hearing the review, the Court may:

• confirm, vary or discharge the order or direction, or
• take such other action as it thinks fit.

If your review is unsuccessful, you may be ordered to pay some of the other party’s legal costs.

If you are unhappy with the decision of the Local Court, you may be able to appeal to the District Court within 28 days.

You cannot appeal just because you do not like the Court’s decision.

You can only appeal if: ​

• ​you have been denied procedural fairness, for example, you were not given a fair chance to present your case.
• the Court made a decision or order that it did not have the power to make.

You can’t appeal just because you don’t like the Court’s decision.

If you are unhappy with the decision of the Local Court, you may be able to appeal to the Supreme Court within 28 days.

You can appeal on a question of law. This includes situations where the Court:

• did not follow the law correctly
• had no evidence to support a decision or conclusion that it reached
• made a decision or reached a conclusion that was contrary to the evidence.

You may be able to appeal with the leave (permission) of the Court about:

• a question of mixed law and fact
• an interlocutory judgment or order
• a judgment or order made by consent
• a costs order being made against you.

You need to complete:

• a Summons commencing an appeal (Part 50) / Summons seeking leave to appeal (Part 50)
• a Form 40 - Affidavit.

You can do this:

• online, via the NSW Online Registry, or 
• in writing, by downloading a copy of the form from the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules Civil Forms website.

You can get blank copies of these forms from:

• your nearest District Court registry, or
• the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules Civil Forms website.

In your form, you must state:

• whether the appeal relates to the whole or part of the court’s decision, and which parts
• the grounds you are relying on in support of your appeal, including any errors of law made by the Court
• what decision you want the appeal court to make.

If you are asking for leave to appeal, you must also state:

• the nature of the case
• the reasons why leave should be given
• the reasons why time to apply for leave should be extended, if necessary.

Your affidavit must annex:

• a sealed copy of the order that you are appealing and a certified copy of the reasons for the decision 
• a copy of the transcript of the hearing
• a copy of any exhibit, affidavit or other document from the hearing that you want the Court to consider in your appeal.

You can file a paper form in person or by post. 

You must file at least three copies of your completed form.

You should make a copy of your completed form and attachments before you file them. 

You should send your forms to the registry’s postal address, not its street address. You can find the registry’s postal address on the Contact us page on the District Court of NSW website. 

When you file your forms, you will have to pay a filing fee. For more information, see Civil jurisdiction forms and fees on the District Court of NSW website.

If you can’t afford to pay the filing fee, you may be able to apply to have the fee waived, reduced, or postponed. 

If you post your form, it won’t be processed until you have paid the filing fee.

If you file your appeal after 28 days, you must ask the Court for an extension of time.

To do this, you must ask for an order “That time for filing an appeal be extended”.

Appealing won’t does not stay (stop) the operation of the original decision. The decision can still be enforced unless a stay order is made.

You may be able to apply to stay (stop) the execution of the judgment or order while you get advice about whether you can appeal, or until your appeal is heard.

The Court can make orders to:

• prohibit the Sheriff from taking any further action on a writ 
• prohibit any other person from taking any further action to enforce a judgment or order.

The Court can refuse to make a stay order where there is a risk that the assets of the applicant will be disposed of if the order is made. If the Court refuses your request for a stay, the other party can enforce the judgment.

To apply for a stay of enforcement, you need to complete a:

• Form 20 – Notice of Motion 
• Form 40 – Affidavit.

You can do this:

• online, via the NSW Online Registry, or 
• in writing. 

For more information, see Step by step guide: Stay of enforcement.

You need to serve your Summons on the other party(s) at least five days before the date your court date.

You must serve your affidavit on the other party no later than three days before the date your Summons will be heard.

You must also file a sealed copy of your Summons with the Local Court.

If you apply for a stay order, you need to serve your Notice of Motion and Affidavit on the other party at least three days before the date fixed for the motion. 

Generally, your appeal will be a re-hearing of the evidence that was given at the first hearing. The Court will consider:

• the documents produced the original hearing
• the transcript of the original hearing.

The Court can’t receive fresh evidence except on special grounds.

After hearing your appeal, the Court may:

• vary the terms of the judgment or order
• set aside the judgment or order
• set aside the judgment or order and remit your case back to the Local Court for determination in accordance with the Court’s directions
• dismiss your appeal.

If your appeal is dismissed, it is very likely that you will be ordered to pay the other party’s legal costs.