Thursday 3 April 2014

Marriage Celebrants Program Reforms

Beginning 1st July 2014, the Australian Government is instituting a Marriage Celebrant Registration Charge.  First touted by the former Labor Government, the Marriage (Celebrant Registration Charge) Bill 2014 was passed by both Houses on 27th March.

The new Bill imposes an annual registration fee on all Commonwealth-registered Marriage Celebrants and allows for the fee to be indexed annually.

Set at $600, the registration fee is expected to net the Government approximately $6.3 million from over 10,500 eligible Celebrants. to the chagrin of many of those Celebrants, Ministers of religion of a recognised denomination proclaimed under Section 26 of the Marriage Act and State and Territory Officers authorised to celebrate marriages are exempt from the registration fee.

In addition to the registration fee, the Government will also raise funds by charging a fee to those applying for registration as a Marriage Celebrant and those seeking exemption from the various newly imposed charges!

Read the Bill Explanatory Memorandum here (pdf format in browser).

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