The below points provide some broad commentary on the Marriage Celebrants Programme statistics.

•    Following the 2015 annual registration process, as at 30 November 2015, 252 celebrants had resigned and 205 celebrants were deregistered due to non-payment of the annual registration charge.

•    The number of applications received is higher than last year, and in the first four months (1July 2015 to 30 November 2015) we have received more than half of the total received for 2014-15.

•    As anticipated, the volume of correspondence (phone and email) peaked in July through September as the team assisted many celebrants with their invoice related enquires.

Background:

Statistics contained in the following tables for the month of March are accurate as at 30 November 2015.

REGISTRATIONS

APPLICATIONS

DEREGISTRATIONS

INCOMING CORR ESPONDENCE

 

• exceptional circumstances, e.g. due to illness or other personal reasons
• a new celebrant's registrationfalls late in the OPD year such that it is not feasible to complete OPD that year, or
• a three-year OPD exemption was granted because an already-registered celebrant completed the Certificate IV in Celebrancy. (Celebrant had to be enrolled in the Certificate IV in Celebrancy by 30 June 2010 and had to provide evidence of enrolment by 1 4 August 2010.

EXEMPTION FROM ANNUAL REGISTRATION CHARGE


COMPLAINTS



Statutory complaints are those that meet the criteria set out the Marriage Regulations 1963. For example, they must relate to the solemnisation of the marriage (the matter complained of concerns the legal obligations or requirements outlined in Division 2, Part IV of the Marriage Act 1961) and be received within three months of the matter complained of taking place. Non-statutory complaints are all complaints about marriage celebrants that do not meet the criteria in the Marriage Regulations, including complaints concerning possible conflicts of interest or benefits to business.

Since the last celebrant associations paper, the department has changed the way that complaints are recorded. Complaints are now recorded according to their date of receipt (rather than entry) and, going forward, statistics will be captured by financial year. T

he department has also focussed on ensuring that conflict of interest and benefit to business complaints are better captured in complaints reporting. This has resulted in minor changes to previously provided statistics, but provides more accurate figures.