A multi-billion dollar national compensation scheme for thousands of Australian victims of child sexual abuse will be discussed at the next meeting of the nation's governments.
The Council of Australian Governments is expected to meet in early November - on a day to be confirmed - and AAP understands the controversial redress scheme will be a hot topic on the agenda.
Attorneys-general from the states and territories will meet with federal Attorney-General George Brandis the day before the full council meeting to work out an approach to providing justice for abuse survivors.
The law ministers from NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, the ACT, Western Australia and South Australia have already written to Senator Brandis asking him to clarify the commonwealth's position on the scheme recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The letter delivered on Friday points out that central to 99 recommendations made by the commission was a national redress scheme "led by the commonwealth, with the participation of state and territory governments and various non-government organisations".
The attorneys-general remind the federal government the commission's recommendations "identified a clear role for the commonwealth, including that the commonwealth announce its willingness to establish a national scheme by the end of 2015".
"The commonwealth response will have significant ramifications for the states and territories. Accordingly, we request the earliest possible indication from the commonwealth as to whether it intends to establish and fund a national redress scheme," their letter says.
A spokeswoman for Senator Brandis told AAP on Monday the federal government was carefully considering the royal commission's recommendations and would "consult with state and territory colleagues before committing to a response".
Tens of thousands of abuse survivors are hoping the federal government will have moved from its position in March when it told the royal commission it would not run or underwrite a national scheme.
The recent change of prime minister has given survivors hope there will be a change of heart.
Malcolm Turnbull is a patron of Care Leavers Australia Network - one of the key groups lobbying for a national scheme.
The attorneys-general's letter also pointed out the commission had recommended reforms to Medicare to enable better access to counselling for survivors of abuse.
In March, the commonwealth said it would not expand Medicare but would boost communications on what was available.
The attorneys-general include those from Liberal states - NSW's Gabrielle Upton, Tasmania's Vanessa Goodwin and Western Australia's Michael Mischin - and have told Senator Brandis Medicare reforms "are critical to the success of the redress approach".
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