1. Require all Commonwealth Marriage Celebrants to belong to a Celebrant Association  (as is the case in other professions) for advice and support on the delivery of ceremony.
2. Require all marriage celebrants contact the state Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages for legal advice about marriages.  Recommendation No 10
3. Require MLCS to establish an Online Expert Panel between BDMs, Celebrant Associations and MLCS to update Marriage Guidelines, develop Fact Sheets and other information packages.  CoCA Recommendation No 9 February 2012
4. Implement the Coalition of Celebrant Associations CoCA recommendations for the Approval and Monitoring of OPD ie basically outsource this function to the celebrant associations. CoCA recommendation No 7 February 2012  andCoCA recommendation August 2012
5. Implement Limited Appointments by region by 5 year cycles as outlined in CoCA Recommendation No 2

RAISING FUNDS FOR COST RECOVERY

Option 1
A  Marriage Registration Fee Stamp ( eg $30) sold  to ALL marrying couples via Aussie Post -  to be provided to the Marriage Celebrant who affixes the the Registration Stamp on the papers that go BDMs  for registration.
Funds raised distributed between the Commonwealth and the States
This would raise 3.6 million -( gives Aussie Post system $600,000) +the Commonwealth approx. 2 million and the States $1 million.

Option 2
All marriage celebrants arranged into regions (eg 30 regions made of 5 electorates each of roughly similar numbers of celebrants),
- with the introduction of a 5 year licence to be phased in by region such that
-  Marriage Registration licences will need to be renewed and
- monies collected distributed to the states and territories and Commonwealth in the statistical proportions of marriages as conducted by the different types of celebrants
ie  ALL  (state & Commonwealth) celebrants to be charged a Registration fee to the included in the online Marriage Register that is the responsibility of the AG via 5 year X $100 licences to be phased in by regions = $1.7 million pa.

Option 3
A Marriage Registration Fee to be collected on all Form 15 Marriage Certificates  @ $10 per wedding = raise 1.2 million – minus $200,00 for Canprint to administer.
Distributed proportionally between the Commonwealth and the States. This would give the Commonwealth say 650,000 pa plus fees for appointing new celebrants and raise monies for the State Registries.

Option 4
Charge Commonwealth Marriage Celebrants a $250 5 year licence – phased in by regions (eg 30 regions made of 5 electorates each of roughly similar numbers of celebrants) = $500,000 pa. for Regulation ONLY.

All new appointments made on a 5 year cycle of choosing the best people for the work as outlined in CoCA Recommendation -2 of its Cost Reoveery and Increased Professionalism Submission Feb 2012

http://www.coalitionofcelebrantassociations.org.au/issues/the-proposed-fee-for-celebrants/2-0-implement-limited-appointments/