Director-General, Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and Farah (No 3)

The Director-General of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services applied to the Family Court of Australia for orders concerning a child, B, born in 2004. The dispute involved the child's return to New Zealand, with Mr Farah, the respondent father, also subject to certain restraints. The matter was heard by Kent J.

The court was required to determine the appropriate orders to facilitate the child's return to New Zealand, including the timing of departure and arrival, and to ensure the father did not interfere with these arrangements. This involved considering the father's ongoing parental responsibilities and the need to prevent the child from leaving Australia unlawfully.

By consent of the parties, the court ordered that the child, B, be returned to New Zealand on or before 12 April 2015. Pending her return, the respondent father was restrained from removing the child from Australia and from changing her usual place of residence. The court also ordered that the father and child be placed on the Family Law Watchlist at international departure points, with provisions for their removal upon confirmation of travel arrangements. The court further empowered various law enforcement agencies to give effect to these orders and discharged a previous order pertaining to passport surrender. All other applications were dismissed.