The NCAT Sydney (EJ) list covers matters heard in the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division at the Tribunal's Sydney registry. This division is one of four operating Divisions within the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and the "EJ" reference identifies the equal opportunity and administrative review hearing schedule managed from central Sydney. If you have received a notice of listing, or you simply want to check when a matter is scheduled, the daily NCAT court list for this division tells you the hearing time, the room, the member allocated, and the parties involved.
NCAT began operating on 1 January 2014 after the New South Wales Government consolidated 22 former tribunals into a single body under the Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013. In the six months to 30 June 2014 alone, the newly formed Tribunal received 39,509 applications and finalised 40,873 matters, which shows how much work moved into the one structure from the outset. More than a decade later, the Tribunal remains the busiest civil dispute forum in the state, and the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division sits at the centre of its public accountability role.
What the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division Actually Decides
The Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division, often shortened to AEOD, has two clear functions. First, it conducts administrative review of decisions made by New South Wales Government agencies. Second, it resolves anti-discrimination complaints referred by the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board. That combination is why the division carries "equal opportunity" in its name, and it is the reason the Sydney EJ list often mixes government review matters with discrimination hearings on the same day.
Common matters listed before this division include:
- Access to government information disputes under the Government Information (Public Access) Act, where a person challenges an agency's refusal to release documents.
- Privacy of personal information reviews, where an individual contests how a public body has handled their data.
- Community services decisions affecting supported accommodation, care and related supports.
- State revenue matters, including objections tied to duties, land tax and other assessments.
- Victims recognition or restitution payments, where an applicant seeks review of a support decision.
- Anti-discrimination complaints covering areas such as race, sex, disability, age and homosexuality, once referred to the Tribunal.
Thirteen separate Acts of Parliament give this division its jurisdiction, and a catch-all provision means it also handles any Tribunal function not specifically assigned to another division. In practice, that makes the AEOD the default home for administrative review work in the state.
Where the Sydney EJ List Is Heard
The Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division operates from Level 10, John Maddison Tower, 86 to 90 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000. The NCAT Principal Registry sits one floor below on Level 9 of the same building. The division shares Level 10 with the Occupational Division, and both can be reached through the registry email aeod@ncat.nsw.gov.au or by phone on 1300 006 228.
John Maddison Tower is within walking distance of Central, Town Hall and Museum stations, and it is close to bus routes running along Elizabeth and Castlereagh Streets. Everyone entering the building passes through an airport-style security screening operated by the NSW Sheriff's Office, so allow extra time before your listed hearing. A drop-off zone for Mobility Parking Permit holders is available in the Goulburn Street Parking Station on the corner of Goulburn and Elizabeth Streets, and the building is wheelchair accessible.
How Busy Is NCAT? Verified Workload Statistics
The scale of the Tribunal explains why an accurate daily list matters so much. According to the NCAT Annual Report 2024-2025, tabled in NSW Parliament in 2026, the Tribunal recorded the following across the full year:
- 73,724 applications lodged, a 3.5 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
- 655 internal appeals lodged to the Appeal Panel.
- 124,736 hearings and other listing events, held across 45 locations throughout New South Wales.
- 70,693 matters finalised, with an overall clearance ratio of 95.9 per cent.
- 59.4 per cent of applications lodged online, rising to 83.3 per cent in the Consumer and Commercial Division.
The listing-event figure is worth pausing on. The 124,736 events counted for 2024-2025 include hearings, case conferences, conciliation, directions, expert conclaves, interim orders and mediation sessions. That is a sharp lift from the 104,837 events recorded in 2023-2024 and the 93,324 hearings held in 2022-2023, and it reflects a Tribunal that is scheduling more discrete listing events per matter than ever before. For anyone tracking the Sydney EJ list, it is a reminder that a single case can generate several separate entries before it is resolved.
NCAT Application Trends Over Recent Years
Looking across several annual reports gives a clearer picture of demand than any single year. Applications lodged have moved as follows: 70,448 in 2021-2022, then a jump to 76,437 in 2022-2023, a fall to 71,223 in 2023-2024, and a recovery to 73,724 in 2024-2025. Finalisations have tracked closely behind, with 76,447 matters finalised in 2022-2023 against a full 100 per cent clearance ratio that year.
The online lodgement trend is equally telling. Digital lodgement sat around 64 per cent in 2022-2023 before easing to 59.4 per cent in 2024-2025, while the Consumer and Commercial Division consistently records the highest online uptake at more than 80 per cent. For the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division, many applications still involve government agencies and referred complaints, which is one reason its intake pattern differs from the high-volume consumer work.
The Four NCAT Divisions and the Appeal Panel
Understanding where the EJ list fits means understanding the wider structure. NCAT is organised into four Divisions plus an Appeal Panel:
Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division
Reviews NSW Government agency decisions and resolves referred discrimination complaints. This is the division behind the Sydney EJ list.
Consumer and Commercial Division
The largest division by volume, handling tenancy, home building, strata, motor vehicle, retail lease and consumer claim disputes. This division drives most of the Tribunal's online lodgements.
Guardianship Division
Decides guardianship orders, financial management orders and consent to medical or dental treatment for people who may lack decision-making capacity. It operates from Level 6, John Maddison Tower.
Occupational Division
Handles occupational licensing and professional discipline matters, and shares Level 10 with the AEOD.
Appeal Panel
Hears internal appeals from decisions of the Divisions. In 2024-2025 there were 655 internal appeals lodged, continuing a multi-year band that included 712 in 2022-2023 and 616 in 2023-2024.
Reading an NCAT Daily List
A published NCAT daily list is designed to be scanned quickly. Each entry usually sets out the case title or file number, the hearing type, the scheduled time, the room or hearing location, and the presiding member or registrar. Because the Tribunal now runs a mix of in-person, telephone and video conference hearings, the list will often indicate the format so parties know whether to attend John Maddison Tower in person or to dial in.
If you are a party, the golden rule is to check the list on the morning of your hearing as well as the day before. Listings can move, matters can be reallocated between members, and urgent applications can be inserted. Arriving early, clearing security and confirming your room against the current list avoids the most common cause of a missed hearing.
Applications, Fees and Representation
Applications to the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division are made using division-specific forms, and fees vary by application type. Reduced fees and fee waivers are available for eligible applicants, including concession card holders and people experiencing financial hardship. Because the division reviews government decisions, strict time limits often apply, so lodging promptly after receiving an agency decision is important.
Representation rules differ across the Tribunal. In many matters parties appear for themselves, while in others leave is required to be legally represented. The division publishes procedural directions and guidelines that explain how evidence should be filed, how hearings are conducted, and what to expect on the hearing day. Reviewing these before a listing helps parties present their case efficiently and reduces the risk of an adjournment.
How the Sydney EJ List Connects to Other NSW Court and Tribunal Lists
The Sydney EJ list is one part of a much larger daily listing landscape across New South Wales. People searching for an NCAT hearing list frequently also need to locate matters in the general and appeal streams, or in nearby registries. If your matter sits in the consumer stream rather than the administrative stream, the NCAT Sydney (CCD) consumer and commercial hearings list is the relevant schedule to check. For appeal matters moving up from a Division, the NCAT Sydney Appeal Panel list shows internal appeal listings.
Those with parallel court proceedings in the Sydney CBD may also need the Sydney Downing Centre Local Court list, which is one of the busiest criminal and general lists in the state. And if your matter has been listed outside the city, the NCAT Liverpool hearing list covers one of the most heavily searched regional registries. Checking the correct list for your division and location is the single most reliable way to avoid confusion on a hearing day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does EJ mean in the NCAT Sydney list?
EJ refers to the equal opportunity and administrative review hearing schedule managed by the Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division at the Sydney registry. It groups the division's Sydney listings so parties and observers can find the right hearing.
Where is the NCAT Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division located?
It operates from Level 10, John Maddison Tower, 86 to 90 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000. The Principal Registry is on Level 9 of the same building. The general enquiry line is 1300 006 228.
What types of cases are heard in this division?
The division reviews decisions by NSW Government agencies, including access to government information, privacy, community services, state revenue and victims support decisions. It also resolves anti-discrimination complaints referred by the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board.
How many matters does NCAT handle each year?
In 2024-2025, NCAT recorded 73,724 applications lodged and 70,693 matters finalised, alongside 124,736 hearings and other listing events held across 45 locations in New South Wales.
Can I attend an NCAT hearing remotely?
Yes. NCAT runs a mix of in-person, telephone and video conference hearings. The daily list generally indicates the hearing format, so check your listing to confirm whether you attend in person at John Maddison Tower or join remotely.
How do I appeal a decision of this division?
Internal appeals go to the NCAT Appeal Panel, which lodged 655 internal appeals in 2024-2025. Strict time limits apply, and the Appeal Panel forms and guidelines set out the process for lodging a notice of appeal.
Staying Up to Date with the NCAT Sydney EJ List
Because listings change and workload continues to grow, the most dependable approach is to check the current daily list close to your hearing date and to confirm your division, registry and hearing format. With more than 124,000 listing events scheduled across the Tribunal in a single year, accurate, up-to-date list information is not a convenience, it is the difference between being ready for your matter and missing it entirely.