Brown and Secretary, Department of Employment

The Administrative Appeals Tribunal considered a claim by Mr Brown for an advance under the *Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012* (Cth) following an insolvency event affecting his employer, Australian Bowls. The Secretary of the Department of Employment opposed the claim.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether Mr Brown had made an "effective claim" within the meaning of the *Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012*. This involved assessing whether he had filed the necessary claim form and supplied supporting documents within the relevant time periods prescribed by the Act, and whether there was any discretion to extend these time limits.

The Tribunal reasoned that while Mr Brown was indeed an employee of Australian Bowls, he had not satisfied the requirements for an "effective claim" as defined by the Act. Specifically, the Tribunal found that the claim form and supporting documents were not lodged within the stipulated timeframes, and that the Act provided no discretion to extend these periods. Consequently, Mr Brown was ineligible to receive an advance under the *Fair Entitlements Guarantee Act 2012*. The decision under review was affirmed.