About
Perth Mediation Centre...
Perth Mediation Centre has been established to provide a place where people can come together and have important conversations. These might be conversations that are needed because conflict is increasingly getting in the way or they might be conversations that people want to have because they want to make agreements about how things are going to be done better.
There are two things that we do that are very important to helping people have these conversations. These are the place we have created for the conversations to take place and the other is the people in our team to assist with those conversations taking place.
The Place...
The Perth Mediation Centre has been carefully selected. First it needed to be in Perth and easy to get to. Our Centre is located in the edge of the Perth CBD in Edward Street. It is easily accessed by car and has both onsite parking as well as ready access to street and longer term paid parking (for larger gatherings). Public transport is also easy, there are buses along Lord Street and we are within easy walking distance from three train stations.
The centre is comfortable and has space where people can meet in groups or privately to check in with advisers or take time out.
We also have all of the resources we need to support your discussions with electronic smart boards and old fashioned white boards and of course access to the internet in every room for those who need to consult the www at any time.
The People...
Perth Mediation Centre mediators are skilled in assisting people to have meaningful conversations. Mediators don't offer counselling services or legal advice so that will need to happen somewhere else. Our mediators are well qualified in mediation and any secondary experience will be in areas that will assist us to ask the sort of questions that will help people to explore options and test solutions.
Peter Mathie...
Peter is the principal and founder of Perth Mediation Centre, he trained as a mediator in 2010. He then went on to become a nationally accredited mediator and after completing a graduate diploma in family dispute resolution he secured registration with the Attorney General's Department to conduct family mediation.
Peter has worked in a lot of different settings. After starting his working life as a deckhand on a Rottnest ferry he completed an apprenticeship in telecommunications where he was fortunate to be trained in a wide range of electronic (although things have changed a lot since then), building and fabrication areas. From here he went farming and then into retail, learning how to qualify customers and close sales. Then after a few years as an owner-driver operating in parcel delivery and general cartage he turned to youth and community work.
Working in the Community...
As a community worker Peter was responsible for the creation of a social enterprise called Balga Job Squad and was involved in the early development of the New Enterprise Scheme in WA assisting people to establish small business ventures.
During his time in the community sector Peter held senior roles at the Balga Community Youth Support Scheme, The Community Enterprise Development Agency, Murdoch Student Guild, Wanneroo Youth Services, High School News and Hedland SkillShare. In all of these roles Peter was responsible for developing new areas of opportunity, finding the money and developing the service.
Government Service...
In 1995 Peter joined ATSIC in Kununurra where he worked with community groups to develop and manage services. He has also served as a regional manager at CRS Australia offering rehabilitation services and then the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health managing funding agreements and assisting with service planning.
Stepping Out...
In 2008 Peter left his role in government and established himself as a consultant mainly working with community based not-for-profits assisting with service planning, budgeting, funding proposals, tenders, planning, reporting and lobbying. Peter has worked with Aboriginal Interpreting WA for all of those eleven years as well as a range of health services, arts and other community organisations. He has also assisted entrepreneurs explore, evaluate and plan their new business ideas.
What Does all that Mean?...
Peter has experience working in different roles, with different people and he knows that we are all so different and unique that he will never assume what is happening or how you are experiencing it. It does mean that when you tell him, he will quickly "get it".
He is deeply committed to helping people find their own solutions and that is why he has created our mission as "creating space for agreement".
Credentials...
Peter holds a Bachelor of Business degree (BBus) majoring in accounting, a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and a Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution. He is also an accredited mediator (LEADR & NMAS) and family dispute resolution practitioner (FDRP), trained conflict coach and an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.