Governance & Policies

Charity Registration & Legal Details

National Lived Experience Commission (NLEC) is the organisation’s name. Its formal description is an independent national cross-system lived experience peak body and intelligence institution. This description does not imply statutory authority, formal government recognition or exclusive representation. NLEC is an independent Australian charity, not a statutory commission or government agency. ACNC registration does not itself establish government recognition or exclusive representation as a peak body. Read the peak-body mandate and representation model for details about remit and participation limits.

The ACNC register identifies the charity as helping the general community in Australia and records its establishment date as 9 August 2025; the ABR records the ABN as active from 10 August 2025 and charity registration from that date. The ABR identifies the entity as a discretionary services management trust. A GST concession endorsement is distinct from GST registration.

Charity registration does not itself establish Public Benevolent Institution status or tax deductibility. This page does not assert PBI or DGR status. Registration subtypes should be checked against the ACNC registration record; no subtype is stated here without confirmation.

Verify the NLEC charity record on the ACNC register and its ABR record for ABN 79 919 184 486.

Governance Framework

The ACNC register lists these responsible people and roles: Daniel Vamplew (Chairperson, Director and Trustee), Anne Miles (Secretary), and Brooke Flugel (Treasurer). The ABR identifies NLEC's entity as a discretionary services management trust.

Relevant legal and governance references include:

• The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 (Cth) and ACNC Governance Standards applicable to the charity.
• The ACNC Charity Register's public record of NLEC's responsible people and charity details.
• NLEC's published Membership Terms, which state that membership does not confer voting rights, governance authority, or ownership.
• NLEC's published Contributor Support Charter and the policies set out below.

The ACNC register describes the community NLEC helps as the general community in Australia.

Editorial Independence Policy

NLEC describes its analysis and public positions as its own, informed by cited evidence and the scope and limits of each record. Its published Membership Terms say that financial support does not guarantee selection for commissioned work or influence over independent evidence findings; membership does not itself authorise someone to speak for NLEC.

Principles

• Contributors inform NLEC's work but do not thereby determine or endorse every NLEC conclusion.
• Members may not represent themselves as speaking for NLEC unless explicitly authorised in writing, as stated in the Membership Terms.

Questions and concerns

Questions about a particular publication or possible conflict can be directed to commissioner@nlec.au.

Conflict of Interest Policy

NLEC's published conflict of interest policy sets out safeguards for people undertaking governance, staff, advisory, research, and contracted work.

What constitutes a conflict of interest

A conflict of interest exists where a person's personal, financial, professional, or other interests could — actually or potentially — influence their exercise of responsibilities to NLEC. This includes:

• Financial interests in organisations that are subject to NLEC assessment, research, or advisory work.
• Employment or board membership with organisations that are NLEC partners, funders, or subjects of NLEC's work.
• Personal relationships that could influence decisions.
• Political affiliations or activities that could compromise NLEC's non-partisan position.

Management

• The policy says people in governance roles, staff, and advisors should disclose actual or potential conflicts as they arise.
• The policy says disclosed conflicts should be recorded and managed.
• The policy calls for a person with a conflict on a particular matter to be excluded from related decisions, assessments, or recommendations.
• The policy provides for significant or unresolvable conflicts to be addressed in relation to the affected role or project.

For enquiries about a specific conflict of interest matter, contact commissioner@nlec.au.

Complaints & Feedback

NLEC welcomes feedback and complaints via commissioner@nlec.au. The ACNC describes Governance Standard 2 as accountability to members; Standard 6 concerns maintaining and enhancing public trust and confidence in the sector. Standard 2 applies to charities with members; the ACNC explains that trusts do not have members. NLEC is registered as a trust. Its published Membership Terms state that membership does not confer governance authority or voting rights. Read the official ACNC explanations for Governance Standard 2 and Governance Standard 6.

NLEC's Contributor Support Charter says contributors should receive updates about what happens to their input and may raise concerns about engagement conduct without fear of being blacklisted.

How to make a complaint

Complaints may be submitted by email to commissioner@nlec.au. Please include:

• Your name and contact details (or indicate if you wish to remain anonymous).
• A description of the matter you are raising and the outcome you are seeking.
• Relevant dates, documents, or other information.

External escalation

If you are not satisfied with NLEC's response to your complaint, you may:

• Lodge a complaint with the ACNC regarding NLEC's conduct as a charity.
• Lodge a privacy complaint with the OAIC if your complaint relates to personal information handling.

Please note that NLEC is not a complaints body and cannot investigate complaints against other organisations, service providers, or government agencies.

Research Ethics & Data Governance

NLEC's published research ethics policy sets out the following commitments for evidence collection.

Core ethical principles

• Voluntary participation: Participation should be voluntary and free from coercion or pressure.
• Informed consent: The policy calls for a plain-language explanation of purpose, methods, uses, and risks, with specific and revocable consent.
• Attribution and privacy: The policy calls for protecting identities and obtaining additional consent before named attribution.
• Do no harm: The policy calls for safeguards against re-traumatisation. See NLEC's Safeguarding Policy.
• Fair recognition: NLEC's Contributor Support Charter says targeted commissioned contributor work is paid, with remuneration agreed for each engagement; registering does not guarantee paid work.
• Public benefit: Evidence work is intended to serve NLEC's charitable, public-interest purposes.

Data governance

• The policy calls for secure storage and restricted access to research data.
• The policy states a maximum retention period of five years after the related publication for raw participant data, followed by secure destruction.
• The policy says participant data is not to be commercialised.
• The policy sets out conditions for research collaboration and data sharing, including an agreement and de-identification or explicit consent for identifiable sharing.

Accessibility Statement

NLEC aims to make its website and available publications accessible to people with disabilities. Contact NLEC to report a barrier or request an alternative format.

Website accessibility

NLEC aims to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA where technically feasible.

Publications accessibility

Some NLEC publications are available as downloadable PDFs. To request an alternative format, including large print or plain text, contact commissioner@nlec.au; requests will be considered.

Participation accessibility

For any planned evidence collection or engagement, contact NLEC about access, communication, or other adjustment needs before participating. Available arrangements depend on the activity and its scope.

Feedback

If you experience accessibility barriers on this website or with NLEC's publications, please contact commissioner@nlec.au. We are committed to improving accessibility continuously and take all accessibility feedback seriously.