EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
MARRIAGE ACT 1961
MARRIAGE REGULATIONS (Amendment)
(STATUTORY RULES 1988 No 223)
The purpose of the amendment to the Marriage Regulations (the Principal Regulations) is to increase certain fees which may be charged by civil celebrants and marriage officers, fees payable upon various searches, and by increasing and clarifying the way in which travelling fees are to be calculated.
A policy decision taken by the Attorney-General in 1982 stated a review of the fee schedule was to take place at intervals of not less than two years. The last amendments increasing fees were made in 1986.
The increase in the fee schedule reflects the movements in the Consumer Price Index for the period under review (January 1986 to December 1987).
Details of the Proposed Marriage Regulation (the Proposed Regulation) is as follows:
Paragraph (a) amends Item 4 by increasing the fee payable for a search in the Registers and the issue of a copy of an entry from $10 to $12.
Paragraph (b) amends Item 5 by increasing the fee payable for a search of the Registers, and issue of an extract of an entry from $6 to $8.
Paragraph (c) amends Item 10 by increasing the fee payable to the Register of Overseas Marriages for issuing a copy of a foreign marriage certificate from $10 to $12.
Paragraph (d) amends Item 11 by increasing the fee payable on giving notice of intended marriage from $15 to $20.
Paragraph (e) amends Item 12 by increasing the fee payable in respect of solemnization of a marriage by a civil celebrant from $50 to $55.
Paragraph (f) and (g) amend Items 12A and 12B to provide for a travelling fee where the distance between the home of that celebrant and the place of marriage is not more than 30 Kilometres - $10 for the whole or part of the (first 20 Kilometres and $5 for the whole or part of each additional 10 Kilometres (including return journey).
Paragraph (h) amends Items 13 by increasing the fee payable on solemnization of a marriage by a marriage officer from $50 to $55.
Paragraph (i) amend Item 14 by increasing the fee payable on an application for shortening time for giving of a notice of intended marriage from $10 to $20.
Paragraph (j) amends Item 14 by increasing the fee payable on an application for dispensing with consent under section 15 from $10 to $20.
(Authorized by the Minister of State for Justice)