Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999

A party may, after service of a statement of loss and damage, or service of the statement is waived, give to the other parties a written notice specifying a day, time and place for the holding of a conference to discuss, and, if possible, reach agreement on, all matters in dispute in the proceeding.

However, in a proceeding in the Magistrates Court, the conference is in the nature of a settlement conference under rule 523.

If a party who is given the notice unreasonably neglects or refuses to attend a conference, the court may, on the application of a party who, except for the holding of the conference, is ready for trial, do all or any of the following—

make an order about any of the following—

setting a trial date;

subject to a restriction on the right to a trial by jury, specifying the mode of trial;

give a direction the court could give under chapter 10, part 1;

without prejudice to another power or discretion of the judge or registrar, require the party neglecting or refusing to attend a conference to pay the costs of the application immediately;

make another appropriate order, including, for example, an order sending the case to mediation.

In this rule—