Abstract

The scenario put forward by Dodds accurately reflects the current situation of the Australian HREC system and is difficult to take issue with. Those involved in providing input to HRECs continually confront the issues identified by the author. The increasing responsibility, the need for greater documentation, the increase in the range and complexity of applications, plus the increased ongoing surveillance of projects is placing an increased workload on HRECs. There are also some additional issues of relevance to HRECs operating in a rural environment.