The Australian International Disputes Centre (AIDC) was officially opened by Commonwealth Attorney General Robert McClelland and NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos, in Sydney yesterday.

The centre will provide companies across the Asia Pacific region with a dedicated facility to resolve commercial disputes, which have become a reality of commercial dealings, chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, Heather Ridout, said.

"Internationally, this is a major step in the promotion of Sydney as a centre for international arbitration facilitating the massive trade flows in our region. Australia is fortunate to be located in what is the fastest growing region of the world economy. The action is on our doorstep and it is vital we build on our capability to take maximum advantage of it and provide the support businesses need to best manage their risk,” she said.

International arbitration and alternative dispute resolution expert, Michelle Sindler, has been appointed as the inaugural chief executive officer of the centre, which has been jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Governments, the Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) and the Australian Commercial Disputes Centre.

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