After section 9 —
insert—
9A Change to time and date of mediation conference(1) This section applies if a party receives a notice stating the time, date and place of a mediation conference under the Act, section 56(1)(b)(ii).(2) The party may ask the mediator in writing, within 2 days after receiving the notice in subsection (1), to change the mediation conference date to a day that is no later than 7 days after the date stated in the notice.(3) If the mediator receives a request under subsection (2), the mediator may—(a) change the mediation conference date to a day that is no later than 7 days after the date stated in the notice; and(b) give each party to the dispute a notice stating the details, including the new time and date, of the mediation conference.
9B Mediation of related disputes(1) A party may, within 2 days after the notice under section 9A(1) is received, ask the mediator in writing to mediate related disputes together at the mediation conference.Example of related disputes—a retail tenancy dispute between a person who subleases premises and the person who is the sublessor, and a retail tenancy dispute between the sublessor who leases the premises occupied by the sublessee and the lessor from whom the sublessor leases the premises(2) If the mediator receives a request under subsection (1) and all other parties to the related disputes agree, the mediator may give each party to the related disputes a further notice stating the details of the mediation conference, including the time and date and the parties to the related disputes that are to participate in the conference.
9C Use of technology to conduct mediation If the parties to the dispute and the mediator agree, the mediation may be held using any technology allowing reasonably contemporaneous and continuous communication between the parties.Examples—teleconferencing, videoconferencing