Coalition of Celebrant Associations

Australia’s Peak Celebrant Body

2012 CoCA Submission on Cost Recovery and Increasing Professionalism

CoCA Submission to AGD with recommendations on Professional Fee and other matters.

Background documents from the AGD:
Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) re professional fee

Web link to: CoCA response to the RIS

MLCS - Consultation Paper - Marriage Celebrants Program - Program Improvements through Cost Recovery - August 2012.PDF

The CoCA associations, at the invitation of the AGD, have provided a submission to the Department with recommendations on reforms/changes to the Marriage Celebrant Program.

This submission is the result of a collaboration between all 13 CoCA associations.

DOWNLOAD: COCA SUBMISSION in response to the MLCS Consultation Paper 2012.

We will invite you to read our submission and provide comments, thoughts, ideas to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The aim of this group of recommendations is to ensure that the proposed upgrade to the MLCS IT infrastructure is cognizant of the requirements of the celebrant users of the system. 8.1 Requirements for Data analysis and planning. The aim of this recommendation is to ensure that the new system can cater for the data requirements of celebrants and the need for access to statistical data for planning, record keeping and compliance purposes. It is recommended that CoCA be consulted as regards what data MLCS is proposing to store for planning, program review and compliance needs. CoCA has expressed to…
The aim of this recommendation is to assist MLCS and other areas in minimizing the number of unnecessary contacts made to these areas.It is recommended that: A resource team made up of MLCS legal staff, BDM representatives and celebrant association/CoCA representatives be appointed to handle difficult questions/situations. The role of this panel would be to: To examine the more tricky questions that come in via celebrant associations or BDM Provide a team approach to problem solving. To request the AGD to contact the relevant embassies etc as required To document the findings into Fact Sheets or Information Sheets as matters…
The purpose of these recommendations are to streamline the process of support for celebrants, especially as regards legal matters. It can be split into two levels. It is recommended that in the event of a celebrant contact to any source, in the first instance: All celebrants to be asked whether they have made reference to the Explanatory Material, When Words are Not Enough, the Marriage Act and the Marriage Regulations, the Fact Sheets and other information available inside the Celebrants Only Section of the website. Then contact the BDM who will be registering the marriage for clarification. If the question…
CoCA has previously approached the AGD/MLCS for funds to support the CoCA associations and their delegates. This recommendation is to support that application with the following: It is recommended that the AGD/MLCS provide funds to support CoCA for the following: With assistance to upgrade the CoCA website With travel equilisation With a salary for a part-time person to resource CoCA Recommendation 12 CoCA is committed to maximising the services of celebrant associations in providing advice and support to MLCS, BDM’s and the independent celebrant community and to promote maximum involvement of all celebrants. Financial and other support from AGD/MLCS would…
The aim of this recommendation is to allow celebrant associations to establish a planning team of local marriage celebrants to host information sessions with representatives of Relationship Education Services, Legal Services and marriage celebrant groups. It is recommended that funding for marriage information sessions for the general public be provided to CoCA associations. These sessions would focus on information about the different styles of marriage ceremonies, the importance of marriage and the support services available to support marriage. It would: Encourage prospective marrying couples to use the services of a marriage celebrant who is a member of a celebrant association,…
Summary of the effects of Recommendations on Cost Recovery Name of Fee MLCS work   Annual Marriage Law Education & Confirmation of Continuing Registration Fee or Annual Marriage Law & Celebrant Section Website Listing and Access Fee. Marriage Law and Policy Development Either collected as a fee directly from celebrants and paid once each year via CanprintOr by purchasing of vouchers/ stamps from Canprint per marriage Marriage Stationery, Publications and Canprint Data collection & analysis Website Listing Coordination of Resource Development and support for all marriage celebrants (BDMs and Celebrant Associations) Reimburse BDM work Reimburse CoCA work Explanatory Material Access…
Note: The figures quoted in this Appendix were provided by the Marriage Celebrant Section in the early 2000’s as part of the Consultations conducted at that time, as well as from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. An annual fee will not deter people becoming celebrants even at $600. Naively people would think - ”that’s only one wedding” in the same way they will think about advertising costs when starting as a celebrant. But an annual fee may force out lots of competent celebrants, who do not have private wealth or other income at around the 5 year mark, mean a constant flow of new inexperienced…
Draft submitted to the MLCS October 2010 OBJECTIVE: To ensure that all applicants for the position of marriage celebrant under Section X of the Marriage Act 1961 meet an appropriate uniform standard of knowledge, skills and ‘Fit and Proper Person” criteria (values and presentation), irrespective of their mode of training for the Cert. IV In Celebrancy and registered training organisation with which their qualification was obtained. STRATEGY: A national ‘self-funding’ independent system of pre-appointment assessment by panel of appropriately trained personnel administered by the Marriage Celebrant Section and established and reviewed by CoCA and the Attorney General’s Department COMPONENTS: 1.…
This section contains information on the formation and process of the Regional Advisory Panels referred to in Section 2.0. It is envisaged that: Decisions for appointment based upon community need minimium overall average level of X weddings p.a per celebrant in each region, and, and upon the best applicant for an area by interview by an Advisory Panel. 30 Regional Advisory Panels, each covering 5 electorates, would advise on level of need in their areas over a 5 year review cycle (ie their level of x weddings pa per celebrant may be varied), and to deal with requests for appointments…
From the Attorney General’s Department – Annual Marriage Celebrant Returns Below are a set of figures on Civil Marriage Celebrant work supplied by the Attorney General’s Department over a decade ago. These figures show that civil marriage celebrancy has NOT been an occupation capable of sustaining a full-time income for the vast majority of civil celebrants for at least the last 15 years. then, as now, the vast majority of civil marriage celebrants (96%) have subsidised their celebrancy work in time or money. Today 60% of weddings conducted by commonwealth appointed celebrants, 5% BDMs and 35% recognised religious celebrants. On…
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