On 25 March 2026 IRSNSW hosted the IRSNSW Annual Practitioners' Day at Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel.

Our sincere thanks go to our speakers, Michael Byrnes, Ian Latham, John Wydell, Kristine Thomas, Georgia Potter Butler, Commissioner Alana Matheson, and Julian Arndt for sharing their insights.

The event was a great success, and we thank everyone for joining us in person and online.

Skilling up for the Future of Industrial Relations

The industrial relations landscape is evolving fast — are you ready for what’s next? Join us on 25 March 2026 for the IRSNSW Annual Practitioners' Day, a must-attend event for IR professionals who want to stay ahead of change, sharpen their expertise, and future-proof their practice. Topics include developments in the unfair dismissal and general protections jurisdictions, reforms to the NSW Industrial Relations Act and Workers Compensation legislation, investigations and a whole lot more.

Click here for more details

The Industrial Relations Society of NSW - Newcastle Branch is excited to announce our first event of 2026:

IR Mastery: Building Core Strengths & Embracing New Skills

Link to event information

The Fair Work Commission has expanded its range of online learning resources.

The new ‘Preparing for a Hearing’ module is available now in the Online Learning Portal.  

This module is for employees and employers planning to represent themselves at a Commission hearing. It is also a valuable training resource for new practitioners appearing before the Commission. 

The module covers: 

• The hearing process 

• Procedural fairness 

• Preparing evidence, witness statements and submissions 

• The role of the Commission Member and others at the hearing 

• Dress code and appropriate behaviour 

• Presenting evidence, questioning witnesses, and making clear submissions  

• What to expect after a hearing

The module is free to access and contains video case studies, animations, learning checks, templates, and a downloadable guide. Users who log in can also obtain a completion certificate.

IRSNSW would like to thank everyone who attended the AGM and Patron’s Lunch on 6 November 2025, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Our sincere thanks go to our panel members, Patron, Anna Booth (Fair Work Ombudsman) and Justice Adam Hatcher (President of the Fair Work Commission), for sharing their insights on the more inclusive, often tripartite, approaches being taken by the two Fair Work entities in carrying out their respective functions. We also extend our appreciation to our outgoing IRSNSW President, Christa Lenard, for facilitating the panel. We take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Committee for their dedication and contributions over the past year, and to warmly welcome the incoming Committee. The list of Committee members can be viewed HERE.

The Industrial Relations Society of New South Wales (IRSNSW), together with Honourable Justice Taylor, invites members of the IRSNSW to attend the annual Meet the Commission and End of Year Member Drinks, to be held on 13 November at the NSW Industrial Relations Commission

Link to event information

Notification of 2025 Annual General Meeting

Members of IRSNSW are advised that the 2025 Annual General Meeting will be held on 6 November 2025 commencing at 12pm.

• Location: Members Dining Room NSW Parliament House

• The agenda, reports and nomination forms are posted on the Members Section of this site.

Notice to Members: Change in Secretariat Services

The Industrial Relations Society of NSW (IRSNSW) wishes to inform members that from 1 July 2025 Secretariat services for both the NSW and Newcastle Branch will be provided by the team at FineHaus, following the recent retirement of Barbara Holmes.

Barbara has supported the IRSNSW with dedication and professionalism for nearly a decade. We sincerely thank Barbara for her outstanding contribution and extend a warm welcome to Finehaus.  

Please be assured that there will be no changes to your member experience. All existing services and points of contact for both the NSW and Newcastle Branch will continue as usual under the management of FineHaus.

IRSNSW: membership@irsnsw.org.au.

Newcastle Branch: newcastle@irsnsw.org.au

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch. And if you haven’t yet renewed your membership yet, now’s the perfect time - we’d love to continue supporting you for another year with all the fantastic benefits that come with being a member of the IRSNSW.

Christa Lenard

President, IRSNSW

Notification of 2024 Annual General Meeting

Members of irsnsw are advised that the 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held on 14th November 2024 commencing at 12pm.

• Location: Members Dining Room NSW Parliament House

• The agenda, reports and nomination forms will be posted on the Members Section of this site.

The AGM will be followed by the Patron's Lunch. For booking options click here

On 19 September 2024, The IRSNSW hosted its 2024 Meet the Commission event at the industrial court at 44 Phillip Street, Sydney.

The event was very popular this year, selling out within 24 hours.

The IRSNSW wishes to thank all the attendees for coming along and making it a very special night.

Link to event information