How to Lodge an ACAT Response Online — Email and Portal Rules

You do not have to travel to 15 London Circuit to file your ACAT civil dispute response. The tribunal accepts electronic submissions — but the rules under Practice Note 3 of 2024 are stricter than most people expect, and getting them wrong means your filing is rejected without a second look.

Email Submission to [email protected]

Email is the quickest channel, but all three of these conditions must be met simultaneously:

1. Your total document bundle (including all attachments) is fewer than 40 pages
2. You attach no more than three separate files
3. No filing fee is payable, or an approved fee exemption or waiver has already been accepted

If any condition is not met, the registry will reject the email. Specifically, they will reject submissions in compressed ZIP format, documents relying on cloud storage download links (Dropbox, Google Drive), high-resolution colour photographs that need physical production, and — critically — any submission requiring payment. The registry automatically deletes emails containing credit card numbers unread.

The ACAT Online Forms Portal

The ACAT website has a web-based portal for lodging forms. It works, but has several operational constraints:

• Google Chrome is the mandatory browser
• Maximum file size per attachment: 7 MB
• File name limit: 20 characters
• Draft forms auto-delete after 45 days if not submitted

The portal functions as a lodgement tool only — it does not provide a live case-tracking dashboard.

In-Person and Postal Alternatives

If your documents exceed 40 pages (common when you include a counterclaim, photographs, and supporting contracts), your options are:

• In person at the ACAT Registry, Ground Floor, 15 London Circuit, Canberra City, between 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM on business days. Fees can be paid by EFTPOS on the spot.
• By post to ACAT, GPO Box 370, Canberra ACT 2601. If a fee applies, enclose a completed Credit Card Payment Authorisation Form or a bank cheque/money order.

Serving the Applicant

Filing with the registry is only half the job. You must also serve a copy of your filed response on the applicant. Under the Procedures Rules 2024, keep proof of service — a delivery confirmation email, Australia Post tracking, or a signed acknowledgement — because the tribunal may ask for it at the Directions Hearing.

All written communications and documents sent to ACAT must be copied to every other party simultaneously. Unilateral correspondence with tribunal members is strictly prohibited.

For a step-by-step lodgement checklist — including which channel to use for each filing scenario — the ACT ACAT Response Guide walks through the options and the common rejection traps.

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