The chairman of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Justice Peter McClellan, will make the announcement at a hearing in Sydney today.

The commission, which is due to deliver its final report in December 2017, will stop accepting survivors' applications to tell their stories to commissioners in private hearings after September 30.

Private sessions allow survivors of child sexual abuse in an institution to share their story directly with a Commissioner in a private setting.  

Justice McClellan said the strong demand from survivors to share their story has resulted in a queue of people waiting to meet with a commissioner

In the last year, the commission has averaged 37 private hearings per week.

The inquiry has already spoken to 5111 survivors in private sessions and there are still 1544 waiting for future sessions.

“The rate at which people come to the Commission seeking a private session shows no present sign of diminishing,” Justice McClellan said.

“If the present demand for private sessions continues throughout the life of the Commission, unless we close off applications well before we complete our final report, many people who may seek a private session will be disappointed.”

“In our view it would be intolerable for a survivor to be accepted for a private session only to find we could not meet with them.”

He said the commission realised for individuals who have been traumatised by sexual abuse giving an account of their experiences and telling their story to a commissioner is an important part of their personal journey.

“The information which the commission has obtained from survivors has proved to be critical in informing our investigations and will provide a secure foundation for many of our final recommendations,” he said. 

People who have already been accepted for a private session or who apply before September 30 will have an opportunity to meet with a Commissioner.

The commission will still accept written accounts after September 30.

“There can be no exceptions for any application received after that date,” he said. 

“I know this will mean that some people will be disappointed. For that the Commissioners are sorry.”