Canberra workplaces carry a particular kind of pressure. Decisions are scrutinised, obligations are statutory, and a dispute inside an agency is never only about the two people in the room. Shiv Martin Consulting provides workplace mediation and dispute resolution in Canberra for organisations that need conflict handled with procedural fairness and discretion.
The issue is rarely just a personality clash. Role clarity, workload, delegation, fairness and process usually sit underneath it, and a resolution that ignores them does not hold. Our job is to keep both the person and the system in view, and to help people move from tension to clarity without shaming anyone.
Not every matter needs mediation. Some need a facilitated conversation, some conciliation, some an investigation, and some a clear management decision. Part of what you engage us for is the judgement to work out which process fits before anyone is committed to the wrong path.
Built for the public service
Most of our practice sits with government: ombudsman offices, commissions, regulators, tribunals and departments. We designed and delivered a five-day accredited mediation training program in-house for a federal government department, built around its statutory context, so its tribunal-facing staff could train together inside their own regulatory frame. We have delivered communication and early-resolution training for an ombudsman office's complaints teams, built on their real case patterns.
That background matters in Canberra. When we mediate an APS workplace dispute, we understand the procedural fairness, record-keeping and public accountability that sit behind it, and we run a process that would withstand review.
APS workplace disputes
Conflict between colleagues, managers and teams where internal steps have stalled and fairness must be visible.
Complaints and conciliation
Complex complaints in regulatory and statutory settings, resolved early where early resolution is possible.
Executive and SES tensions
Leadership breakdowns handled with the discretion senior roles require.
Multi-party and stakeholder matters
Facilitated processes for boards, committees and inter-agency groups in conflict.
The mediation process in five stages
1. Pre-mediation. Suitability assessment, wellbeing check, preparing each participant.
2. Introductions. The mediator's role, opening statements, agenda setting.
3. Exploration. Sharing information, understanding perceptions, unpacking assumptions, relevant law or policy.
4. Private sessions. Confidential check-ins with the mediator to discuss options and shift to a future focus.
5. Agreement. A forward-looking resolution captured in a written record of outcomes and follow-up steps.
For agency matters, the written record of outcomes is drafted with your policies and reporting obligations in mind, so what is agreed in the room can actually be implemented in the department.
How we work in Canberra
Mediations and training run in person in Canberra, at your workplace or a neutral venue, with travel scheduled to suit your timeline. Multi-day training programs are delivered in-house in your building. Between visits, we run secure online sessions with the same structure and preparation, which many Canberra teams prefer for single-issue matters.
Urgent matters can often be scheduled within days. Good process creates safety, and that starts before anyone is in the room.
We are proud to support teams from the following organisations.
Trusted by Teams Across Australia
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Client feedback from workplaces, government agencies and communities across Brisbane, Australia and New Zealand. Whether online or in person, from facilitated conversations to workplace team training, Shiv Martin Consulting has your conflict resolution covered.
Conflict resolution training in Canberra
Training should never be abstract. Our Canberra programs are designed for a specific team's legislation, context and real conversations: complaints handling, conciliation skills, managing challenging interactions, and mediation skills for tribunal-facing and frontline staff.
Programs are delivered in the room, then embedded with follow-up, so people leave with language and structure they can use in their next difficult conversation at work.
Shiv Martin is an accredited mediator (AMDRAS), lawyer and trainer with over 15 years of experience across government agencies, commissions, tribunals and workplaces. As a practising solicitor with postgraduate training in psychology, she brings legal clarity and trauma-informed facilitation to every engagement.
For multi-party or complex matters, the panel adds depth: a mediator, an investigator and a facilitator working as one team.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Canberra mediations take place?
At your workplace, at a neutral venue in Canberra, or online. For agency matters we are guided by your security and privacy requirements when choosing the setting. In-person and online sessions follow the same structure and preparation.
Can you work within our agency's legislative and policy framework?
Yes. That is the core of our practice. We ask for the relevant framework during pre-mediation and design the process so it aligns with your enterprise agreement, policies and procedural fairness obligations.
How quickly can something be arranged?
Urgent matters can often be scheduled within days, including travel to Canberra. The pre-mediation stage is never skipped, but it moves quickly when the situation calls for it.
What does it cost?
It depends on the complexity of the matter, the time involved and whether travel is required. Send us a few lines about the situation through the enquiry form and we will come back with the process that fits and the costs, usually within a business day.
Do you provide family mediation in Canberra?
No. We work with organisations on workplace, commercial and multi-party matters. For family or parenting disputes, we are glad to refer you to experienced family mediators in Canberra.
Where we work
Our Canberra work is part of a national practice, based in Brisbane. We also support organisations in Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville and the Gold Coast.
Tell us what your agency or organisation is facing
The fastest way to get help is a short written enquiry. Tell us what is happening in a few lines and we will come back with the process that fits, what is involved and the costs. If a conversation would help, you can also book a confidential discovery call.
Call or text 0433 904 303 · contact@shivmartin.com