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Fair Work Act 2009
s.394—Unfair dismissal
Brendan Purcell
v
The Trustee For The Korumburra Hotel Unit Trust
(U2023/4416)
COMMISSIONER BISSETT MELBOURNE, 30 JUNE 2023
Application for an unfair dismissal remedy
[1] On 20 May 2023 Mr Brendan Purcell made an application to the Fair Work Commission
for a remedy for unfair dismissal pursuant to s.394 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (FW Act).
[2] The application was incomplete in that Mr Purcell did not pay the required fee or file a
completed waiver form.
[3] On 25 May 2023 the Commission emailed correspondence to Mr Purcell’s nominated
email address advising that his application required payment of the filing fee or a completed
waiver form if he wished to proceed with the application. That correspondence also warned that
if payment is not made or a waiver form is not received within 7 calendar days the application
may be dismissed.
[4] On 26 May 2023, an SMS notification was sent to Mr Purcell’s nominated telephone
number advising of the requirement to action the payment request email from the Fair Work
Commission.
[5] On 31 May 2023 the Commission emailed correspondence to Mr Purcell’s nominated
email address reminding that his application required payment of the filing fee or a completed
waiver form if he wished to proceed with the application. That correspondence also warned that
if payment is not made or a waiver form is not received, the application may be dismissed. Later
that same day an attempt to contact Mr Purcell was made to obtain payment. The call was not
answered. A voicemail message was left advising Mr Purcell to call the Commission back, to
pay the filing fee and that if the fee was not paid, his application may be dismissed.
[6] A further attempt to contact Mr Purcell on his nominated telephone number was made
on 7 June 2023 to obtain payment or a completed waiver form. The call was not answered. A
voicemail message was left advising Mr Purcell to call the Commission back.
[7] A final attempt to contact the applicant’s representative, Employee Dismissals, on their
nominated telephone number was made by the Commission on 14 June 2023 to obtain payment
[2023] FWC 1573
DECISION
AUSTRALIA FairWork Commission
[2023] FWC 1573
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or a completed waiver form. The call was not answered. A voicemail message was left advising
the Applicant’s Representative to call the Commission back.
[8] To date there has been no response from Mr Purcell, the required fee has not been paid
and a completed waiver form has not been received.
[9] Section 395 of the FW Act, which deals with application fees, provides as follows:
395 Application fees
(1) An application to the FWC under this Division must be accompanied by any fee
prescribed by the regulations.
(2) The regulations may prescribe:
(a) a fee for making an application to the FWC under this Division; and
(b) a method for indexing the fee; and
(c) the circumstances in which all or part of the fee may be waived or
refunded.
[10] Section 587(1) of the FW Act provides as follows:
587 Dismissing applications
(1) Without limiting when the FWC may dismiss an application, the FWC may dismiss
an application if:
(a) the application is not made in accordance with this Act; or
(b) the application is frivolous or vexatious; or
(c) the application has no reasonable prospect of success.
[11] I am satisfied that, as the application was not accompanied by the fee prescribed by the
FW Act, the application was not made in accordance with the FW Act. As such, the application
is dismissed pursuant to s.587(1)(a) of the FW Act.
COMMISSIONER
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