Public and Educational Lending Rights Committee

The Public and Educational Lending Rights Committee represents Australian authors, publishers and libraries in relation to the lending rights program.

The Public and Educational Lending Rights Committee is part of the governance and advisory arrangements for the Public and Educational Lending Rights scheme. Day to day operation of the scheme is managed by the Office for the Arts within the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.

Under the Public and Educational Lending Rights (Better Income for Authors) Act 2026 a committee representing Australian authors, publishers and libraries is appointed by the Minister for the Arts.

If you are interested in joining the Committee or any other statutory and non-statutory boards, councils and committees within the portfolio of the Minister for the Arts, you can submit an Expression of Interest.

Committee members

Ms Olivia Lanchester, Chairperson

Ms Lanchester is the Company Secretary of Authors Legal and the former CEO of the Australian Society of Authors (2019–2024). She has experience advising on every aspect of publishing. She has worked on industry agreements and protocols with the Australian Publishers Association, Australian Booksellers Association and the Australian Library and Information Association. Ms Lanchester is currently a director of the Australian Copyright Council and International Authors Forum and previously worked as an intellectual property lawyer in private practice and as a freelance editor.

Ms Lanchester has served on the Committee since 2023.

Ms Rachel Bin Salleh, Publisher Representative

Ms Bin Salleh is a Nimunburr and Yawuru woman from the Kimberley region of Western Australia who is passionate about First Nations people telling their stories. Ms Bin Salleh is the publisher at Magabala Books in Broome and has worked in publishing for more than 30 years. Published in 2018, her debut picture book, Alfred's War, tells the story of Alfred and the lack of recognition and equality for returned WWI First Nations servicemen. In 2020 Ms Bin Salleh was awarded the inaugural Writing WA Literary Lions Medal for services to literature.

Ms Bin Salleh has served on the Committee since 2024.

Dr Tiffany Tsao, Author Representative

Dr Tsao is a writer, literary translator and deputy editor of the Sydney Review of Books. Her fourth novel, But Won't I Miss Me was released in May 2026. She has previously worked as an editor at Asymptote, InterSastra, and The Circular (a digital newsletter project of the Sydney Review of Books). Her third novel, Under Your Wings, was longlisted for the 2019 Ned Kelly Award. Her translations of Indonesian fiction and poetry have been awarded the NSW Premier's Translation Prize, the PEN Translation Prize, and longlisted for the International Booker Prize. She lives on Gamaragal land (Sydney), holds a PhD in English from University of California, Berkeley, and is a founding member of the seams—a small collective of individuals who translate Southeast Asian literature into English.

Dr Tsao has served on the Committee since April 2026.

Mr Will Kostakis, Author Representative

Mr Kostakis is an award-winning children's and young adult's author who has extensive experience working with public and educational libraries. An accomplished public speaker, he has spent more than 16 years travelling around Australia and overseas to speak about his books and writing at schools, festivals and conferences. His books have received numerous accolades. Most notably, his novel We Could Be Something won the 2024 Prime Minister's Literary Awards in the Young Adult Literature category.

Mr Kostakis has served on the Committee since 2024.

Ms Clare Thorpe, Australian Libraries Representative

Clare Thorpe is an award-winning library leader, researcher, and non-executive board director. She has worked in university and state libraries since 2001 and is currently Director, Library Services at Southern Cross University. She previously served on the boards of the Australia Library and Information Association and Open Access Australasia.

Ms Thorpe has served on the Committee since 2024.

Ms Libby Cass, National Library of Australia Representative

Ms Cass is Director, Curatorial and Collection Research at the National Library of Australia (NLA). Libby represents the NLA as a member of National e-Deposit (NED)—promoting legal deposit and NED to publishers and help them transition from print to digital.

Ms Cass has served on the Committee since 2019.

Mr Steven Zorzi, Copyright Representative

Mr Zorzi is Director, Copyright Law and Policy at the Attorney General's Department. His expertise in copyright is a valued asset to the Committee.

Mr Zorzi has served on the Committee since 2021.

Review of Lending Rights decisions

If the Secretary of the department makes a decision affecting you, you have 28 days to ask them to review the decision. There is no fee, but you must make the request for a review in writing.

The department can extend the time limit, but you will need to ask for an extension and explain why you need it in your request.

If the department doesn't respond within 90 days, the decision stands. In that case, or if you do not agree with the revised decision, you can apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review.