Other measures in the Attorney-General's portfolio
Administrative Appeals Tribunal
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Administrative Appeals Tribunal | 7.7 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.6 |
The Government will provide $32.6 million over four years to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The funding is required to maintain the Tribunal after Senate rejection of proposals to amalgamate this and other merit review tribunals and form a unified administration.
Australia's Southern Ocean - surveillance and enforcement programme
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Australian Customs Service | 9.5 | - | - | - |
| Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Australia | 1.8 | - | - | - |
The Government will provide funding of $11.4 million in 2003-04 to continue patrols of the Heard and McDonald Islands' exclusive economic zone. These patrols are aimed at the commercial and operational activities of firms engaged in illegal fishing, as well as protecting Australia's sovereign interest and the environmental values in the region.
The programme is currently under review to determine how successful the activities are in preventing illegal fishing and how they might be made more cost effective. The results of that review will be available prior to the 2004-05 Budget.
See also the related capital measure titled Australia's Southern Oceanld - surveillance and enforcement programme in the Attorney-General's portfolio.
Australian Crime Commission - additional funding to target money laundering and fraud
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Australian Crime Commission | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.7 |
The Government will provide additional funding of $29.9 million over four years to the Australian Crime Commission to build upon previous programmes targeting crime involving money laundering and fraud on the Commonwealth. This measure will enable the Government to continue its enhanced capacity to detect and deter organised crime through financial transactions, and recover the proceeds of these crimes.
Family Court of Western Australia - additional funding
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
The Government will provide $4.1 million over four years to the Attorney-General's Department to fund the appointment of additional judicial resources to the Family Court of Western Australia, and to supplement the court for an increase in judicial salaries resulting from the 2002 Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal determination to increase judicial entitlements. The additional judicial resources will ease workload pressures, improving the timeliness of access to the court.
Family Law Pathways - continuation of Children's Contact Services
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 |
The Government will provide $17 million over four years to continue funding for the 25 Children's Contact Services established in 1996. The services provide a safe and neutral environment for children to maintain contact with a parent who is no longer living with them.
See also related expense measures titled Family Law Pathways - continued contribution to the Victorian Court Network, Family Law Pathways - measures to improve compliance with Family Court child contact orders and Family Law Pathways - online access to family law information and services in the Attorney-General's portfolio and the Men and Family Relationships and Family Relationships Education Programmes - extended funding in the Family and Community Services portfolio.
Family Law Pathways - continued contribution to the Victorian Court Network
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
The Government will provide $0.3 million over four years to the Attorney-General's Department as part of the Commonwealth's continued contribution to the Victorian Court Network. The network coordinates a volunteer information, support and referral service to users of the Family Court and Federal Magistrates Service in Melbourne and Dandenong to help separated parents cope with the stress of the legal process.
See also related expense measures titled Family Law Pathways - continuation of Children's contact services, Family Law Pathways - measures to improve compliance with Family Court child contact orders and Family Law Pathways - online access to family law information and services in the Attorney-General's portfolio and the Men and Family Relationships and Family Relationships Education Programmes - extended funding in the Family and Community Services portfolio.
Family Law Pathways - measures to improve compliance with Family Court child contact orders
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
The Government will provide funding of $5.2 million over four years to continue and expand the Contact Orders Programme. The programme works with families experiencing high levels of conflict affecting children's contact. It aims to reduce that conflict and improve compliance with child contact orders. New funding of $2.1 million over four years to maintain the three existing Contact Order Services (in Hobart, Perth and Parramatta) will be complemented by $3.1 million over four years to expand the Parramatta service and provide new services in south-east Queensland and Melbourne. The cost of the expansion will be absorbed within the existing resourcing of the Attorney-General's Department.
See also related expense measures titled Family Law Pathways - continuation of Children's contact services, Family Law Pathways - continued contribution to the Victorian Court Network and Family Law Pathways - online access to family law information and services in the Attorney-General's portfolio and the Men and Family Relationships and Family Relationships Education Programmes - extended funding in the Family and Community Services portfolio.
Family Law Pathways - online access to family law information and services
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
The Government will provide $5.2 million over four years to the Attorney-General's Department for the continuation of Australian Law Online, including the Family Law Hotline and Family Law Online. These arrangements are designed to make it easier for Australians to access family law information and services by using the internet and national telephone services free of charge.
See also related expense measures titled Family Law Pathways - continuation of Children's contact services, Family Law Pathways - measures to improve compliance with Family Court child contact orders and Family Law Pathways - continued contribution to the Victorian Court Network in the Attorney-General's portfolio and the Men and Family Relationships and Family Relationships Education Programmes - extended funding in the Family and Community Services portfolio.
Federal Magistrates Service - additional magistrates
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Federal Magistrates Service | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
The Government will provide $4.4 million over four years to the Federal Magistrates Service to fund the appointment of an additional two magistrates to the service. The additional magistrates will ease workload pressures in Brisbane and Melbourne, improving the timeliness of access to the service. This measure will fulfil the Government's 2001 election commitment contained in the Better Law, More Options commitment.
Firearms policy development - continuation of funding
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
The Government will provide additional funding of $3.8 million over four years to the Attorney-General's Department to meet the ongoing costs of firearms import administration and policy development.
Handgun buyback programme
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 55.9 | 10.1 | - | - |
The Government will provide $69 million, including $3 million in 2002-03 to implement a buyback programme to restrict the availability and use of handguns within the Australian community. Legitimate sporting shooters only will be permitted to import and possess a limited range of guns.
The Government will fund two-thirds of the cost of this joint Commonwealth, State and Territory buyback scheme, with up to 65,000 handguns expected to be surrendered.
The buyback will commence on 1 July 2003 and will be completed in 2004-05.
International Criminal Court - Australia's contribution
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 3.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
The Government will provide funding of $7.5 million for Australia's contribution to the operation of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002, and will enable the prosecution of the perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and will replace the system of ad hoc international tribunals such as those established to deal with atrocities in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. The amount of $3.3 million in 2003-04 includes $2 million as Australia's contribution for 2002-03.
National Crime Prevention Programme - building safer communities
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Attorney-General's Department | 4.0 | - | - | - |
The Government will provide additional funding of $4 million in 2003-04 to continue the National Crime Prevention Programme. The programme identifies and promotes ways to reduce and prevent crime, fear of crime and future involvement of young people in crime and delinquent behaviour. The programme will be implemented in partnership with other Commonwealth agencies, the States and Territories, local government and the non-government sector.
A review of the programme will be undertaken in October 2003.
Proceeds of Crime legislation - additional funding for implementation
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions | 1.9 | 2.9 | - | - |
| Insolvency and Trustee Services Australia | 0.5 | 0.7 | - | - |
The Government will provide $6 million over two years to fund prosecutions made by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and for the control and realisation of seized assets by the Insolvency and Trustee Service Australia (ITSA). Future funding for this measure will be subject to a review of the impact of the legislation on the workloads of the DPP and ITSA.
The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 came into effect on 1 January 2003. It is a comprehensive civil confiscation regime to allow the Commonwealth to freeze and confiscate the assets of people involved in serious crime.
See also the related capital measure Proceeds of Crime legislation - additional funding for implementation in the Attorney-General's portfolio.