Most likely EAP points or disadvantage consideration.
By the way, of interesting note, if you are eligible for the E12 scheme at the University of Sydney, you only need an ATAR of 95.00 to be admitted to Combined Law instead of 99.50. And instead of 99.00 for physiotherapy, you need just 85.00.
I'd also like to say that I agree 100% with the UNSW's Vice Chancellor and President. We need to move away from the ATAR as the single source of measuring academic potential and achievement. It is incredibly silly that we have a system where we assess the short-term future of a 17 year old on how well they perform in a handful of HSC exams (of subjects that they chose when they were 15 and 16). I'd like to move to a system that rewards all-roundedness and passion, as well as academic performance, as Ian Jacobs discussed. I guess that's what UNSW's EAP system tried to accomplish, by rewarding people's extra curricular activity and thus attracting a more all-rounded cohort for UNSW.
Perhaps universities should interview prospective students for professional degrees like Law, as they do with Medicine. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. It would be slightly more burdensome for the universities, but it would allow students to demonstrate their interest and passion for these highly competitive professional courses. Students who seek work experience, who do extra curricular activities in these fields, who are proactive, would be rewarded. Instead of measuring student potential JUST on how well they do on a few papers, this would take into account anything they proactively do throughout years 11 and 12 (or even on their gap year/s). This system is highly effective for Medicine applications, so why can't it work for Law?