Community Mediation Services
Helping neighbours, families, workplaces and communities across Australia resolve conflict — safely, affordably, and with the support of accredited mediators.
How we can help
Interact Community Dispute Resolution Service (ICDRS) is a social-enterprise mediation service run by Interact Support Inc. We help individuals, families, workplaces and not-for-profit organisations across Australia resolve disputes safely, affordably and with the support of accredited professional mediators.
If you are in conflict with a neighbour, a colleague, a club committee, a family member or someone in your community, mediation may be able to help you find a way forward together — without going to court or escalating the dispute.
What is mediation?
Mediation is a voluntary and confidential process where an independent third party — called a mediator — helps two or more people in conflict reach a mutual agreement. It is an effective alternative to going to court, designed to encourage cooperation, communication and collaboration.
Key features of mediation
- Voluntary: Everyone involved must agree to participate, and an agreement is only reached if you agree.
- Confidential (with limited exceptions): What is said in mediation stays private. The exceptions are if we become concerned someone is at risk of serious harm (we have a duty of care that may require us to act), or if a court orders information to be shared — though in practice courts usually don’t allow material from mediation to be used as evidence.
- Independent mediator: The mediator doesn’t take sides or make decisions. They help you understand each other’s point of view and consider the options.
- Collaborative: The goal is to work together to find a solution that meets everyone’s needs — not an unsatisfying compromise or a coerced outcome.
- Flexible: Timing and arrangements can be tailored to fit the specific needs of the people involved.
How ICDRS works
ICDRS is a co-mediation service. Two Nationally Accredited Mediators (AMDRAS) work together with the people who have a dispute. Co-mediation means more skill in the room, more balanced facilitation, and additional support when the conversation is difficult.
Mediation can be provided online via video meeting, or in person where we have team members available and a suitably private location. Online mediation is available Australia-wide.
The process
The process begins with a pre-mediation session with each participant — confidential, separate, and used to make sure mediation is going to be safe and appropriate, and to help you prepare. Pre-mediation is run individually for each person, so you can speak openly to the mediators about your concerns, what you hope to achieve, and anything that might affect how the joint conversation should be set up.
If both people agree to proceed, the joint mediation runs as a structured eight-stage process. This is the facilitative mediation model taught and used by accredited mediators across Australia, and is what our team draws on every time we mediate.
- Mediator’s opening statements. The mediator welcomes you both, explains how the session is going to work, who does what, and that everything you say stays confidential. They check that you’re both ready and willing to go ahead.
- Each person’s opening statement. You each get a turn to explain what brought you here and what you’d like to sort out. The mediator listens carefully, asks questions to make sure they’ve understood, and sums up what they’ve heard. They don’t take sides.
- Setting the agenda. The mediator pulls everything you’ve both raised into a short, neutral list of topics — your agenda. You both need to be happy with the list before you move on.
- Talking it through and finding options. The longest part. The mediator helps you have a real conversation with each other — about what happened, why it matters, and how it’s affected you. Once you understand each other on a topic, the mediator invites you both to come up with ideas for how things could work going forward. Nothing is decided yet.
- Private conversations. Each of you has a private one-on-one conversation with the mediator. It’s a chance to step back, talk about how the process is going, think about the ideas on the table, and work out what would actually be workable for you.
- Working out the details. Back together, you turn the ideas into specific proposals. The mediator helps you check whether each proposal actually solves the problem, whether it would work in practice, whether you’re both genuinely on board, what happens if something changes, and that no one is being pressured.
- Writing it down. If you want what you’ve agreed in writing, the mediator drafts it in your own words — making sure each point is clear about who does what, when, where and how. They check you both understand what you’re agreeing to and that no one is being pushed into it.
- Wrapping up. The mediator runs through what you’ve agreed, explains how the written document will be shared and whether it’s legally binding, restates what stays confidential, answers any last questions, and the session is closed.
What types of disputes do we help with?
Neighbour disputes
When neighbours stop speaking or have angry exchanges, communication is the first casualty. Mediation brings you together to discuss the issues, clear up misunderstandings, and find a way forward — including how you will treat each other going forward and how to resolve the underlying causes of the conflict.
Workplace disputes
Workplace conflict is corrosive. Whether you’re a not-for-profit working with volunteers or a business with employees and contractors, unresolved conflict produces turnover, absenteeism and low morale. Independent professional mediation can clear the air and improve working relations.
Family and relationship disputes
Ongoing conflict within families and friendships causes stress and can become genuinely harmful. We can help you have the difficult conversations in a safe, confidential space — talking through the issues and finding new ways to move forward together.
For family law mediation involving parenting arrangements, child support or property settlements after separation, see our sister program Interact Online Family Dispute Resolution.
Not-for-profit dispute resolution programs
We establish collaborations with large not-for-profits and community organisations to provide tailored dispute resolution support for their members and volunteers. Through a Memorandum of Understanding and Steering Committee, our team learns your culture and processes — streamlining how your members get help when they need it.
Cost
ICDRS is a social-enterprise not-for-profit. We pay an honorarium to our volunteer mediators, and surplus funds support our pro-bono services and community outreach.
- If you are on a low income or experiencing financial hardship, the pre-mediation stage is free.
- If you proceed to mediation, you are asked to pay a fee based on your ability to pay.
- Those who can afford to pay our standard mediation fee contribute $250 per hour.
Why choose ICDRS
- Means-tested — our fees are based on your ability to pay.
- Co-mediation model — a team of two AMDRAS-accredited mediators gives more skill in the room and additional support.
- Australia-wide — online mediation is available everywhere; in-person where we have team members.
- Qualified — all mediators are Nationally Accredited Mediators under AMDRAS.
- Trauma-informed and inclusive — ICDRS welcomes everyone and we work with care.
Frequently asked questions
What qualifications do ICDRS mediators have?
All ICDRS mediators are Nationally Accredited Mediators under the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS). We use a co-mediation approach, so you usually work with a team of two mediators. Mediators may have additional qualifications in law, counselling, psychology or business — but in mediation they act as facilitators rather than advisors.
Does it matter if a mediator has accreditation?
Yes — it definitely does. People who call themselves mediators but are not on the AMDRAS register may not have proper training in how to ethically facilitate mediation. Unqualified people — including some lawyers and HR managers — may focus on forcing compromise or have a conflict of interest. Accredited Mediators have been trained, passed a skills assessment, evaluated for good character, and must participate in ongoing professional development. Check the National Register at amdras.au/mediators before agreeing to participate.
Is mediation confidential?
Mediation is confidential, with limited exceptions. What is said during the sessions stays private and, in most cases, can’t be used as evidence in court or a tribunal. Confidentiality lets people be open and honest about their concerns — which usually leads to better outcomes than formal legal processes.
There are two situations where we may need to share information from mediation. First, if we become concerned that someone is at risk of serious harm, we have a duty of care that may require us to act. Second, a court can in rare cases order information to be shared — although in practice courts usually do not allow material from mediation to be used as evidence. Your mediators will explain how confidentiality and its limits apply in your situation during pre-mediation.
Get in touch
Not sure whether mediation is right for your situation? Contact us and one of our team can talk you through the process and answer your questions.
Phone: 1300 079 345
Email: office@interact.support
Online enquiry: interact.support/contact-us