The report follows an extensive review of Australia’s National Mediator Accreditation System, which commenced in the back half of 2020 and saw extensive consultation with the broader Australian mediation community, and included MSB member organisations, mediators (accredited and not) and other relevant bodies.

In a statement issued last week, MSB chairman Christopher Boyle said that the review process “highlighted the positive role that the NMAS has played in the mediator community, adding credibility and integrity to the training and practice of Australian mediators”.

The findings, MSB proclaimed, show that mediation in Australia is an “emerging profession”.

“There are elements of self-regulation that are definitive of mature professions that mediation could draw from, particularly in respect of complaints handling and discipline.

“The path to a fully-developed profession is one that will take some time to travel, and the exact route to that destination is not yet clear,” it noted.

MSB has resolved, it continued, to commit further resources to prepare short-, medium- and long-term responses to the review, including clear transition periods for individuals and organisations that may be affected.

“Until threshold decisions have been made, it would be premature and distracting to engage in discussions about details of how recommendations might be implemented,” it said.

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“The board will continue engaging with the community — we are a members’ organisation. The MSB was established to govern a system for member organisations, and it intends to maintain that,” said Mr Boyle.

A process of active engagement will be announced by the MSB in the coming months.