Family Responsibilities Commission

Report to the Family Responsibilities Board and
The Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships

Quarterly Report
No. 34

October 2016 to December 2016

Report prepared by the Family Responsibilities Commission under the leadership of Commissioner David Glasgow

Executive Summary
Quantified in the table below are the activities undertaken by the Commission during quarter 34 with comparisons shown to the previous quarter.

Activity	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	Difference	
Within jurisdiction agency notices received	1294	1127	Decreased	
Conferences held	647	630	Decreased	
Family Responsibility Agreements entered into	15	12	Decreased	
Orders made to attend community support services	47	63	Increased	
Conditional Income Management Orders made	69	59	Decreased	
Voluntary Income Management Agreements entered into	6	5	Decreased	
Clients case managed	160	188	Increased	
Referrals made	64	82	Increased	
Applications to Amend or End received	20	13	Decreased	
Show Cause conferences held	0	0	No Change	
Table 1: Activity from 1 July 2016 to 31 December 2016

The Commission’s annual School Awards ceremonies were conducted in December in each of the five communities. Prizes were awarded for attendance achievements and included certificates, medals and vouchers. Each year the Local Commissioners present the awards to provide positive recognition and support for those students (and their families) who regularly attend school, and also provide an incentive for those students who wish to improve their school attendance.

The FR Board held its thirty-second meeting on 1 November 2016 in Brisbane. Papers presented for Board consideration included: the Commissioner’s report to the Board on various issues including school attendance in each community, Local Commissioners’ views on the benefit of income management and financial operations; highlights and outcomes of the 2015-16 financial year; a report addressing the loss of the Childrens Court trigger; a report on the impact of the domestic violence trigger for the period 1 January to 30 September 2016; and endorsement was provided by the FR Board for Quarterly Report No 33.

Of particular note this quarter was the announcement from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet of the transition of wellbeing services in the Welfare Reform communities from the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Apunipima Cape York Health Council effective from 31 March 2017. The transition of client information is expected in Quarter 35. The Commission has been advised that client records will only be handed over to Apunipima with the clients’ express permission to share the records, however, comprehensive FRC client summaries are expected to be provided to the Commission.

Significant IT work was carried out this quarter with the introduction of unique identifiers for individuals dealt with by the Commission. The adoption of unique identifiers is an essential component of good administrative practice which will provide clarity in regard to our record systems and also increase our capacity to meet our privacy obligations. Additionally, the CRM database was modified to allow for the manual entry of service provider updates by Local Coordinators and a report created to provide a summary of case management activity.

Two new work health and safety policies were drafted in recognition of the need to better support our remote staff – A guide to living and working in indigenous communities and Guidelines for dealing with a traumatic event or critical incident. Eight human resource policies were reviewed during the quarter and the Commission’s Information Sharing Protocol was reviewed and released to stakeholders.

Table of contents

1.  Activities and Trends		4
2.  Future Direction and Challenges	11
3.  Financial Operations		13

Abbreviations
CIM		Conditional Income Management
DATSIP		Department of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
DET		Department of Education and Training
DJAG		Department of Justice and Attorney-General
DV		Domestic Violence
FRA		Family Responsibilities Agreement
FRC		Family Responsibilities Commission
GYFS		Griffith Youth Forensic Service
QPS		Queensland Police Service
VIM		Voluntary Income Management
Also:		
Family Responsibilities Commission (the Commission)
Family Responsibilities Commission Act 2008 (the Act)
Family Responsibilities Commission Registry (the Registry)
Family Responsibilities Board (the Board)

Family Responsibilities Commission
Welfare Reforms

Report to 31 December 2016.
1.  Activities and Trends

Notices
In quarter 34 the Commission received 1,975 agency notices. Some individuals may have been the subject of more than one agency notice. Of that figure 1127 notices (57 percent) were within the Commission’s jurisdiction and 848 notices (43 percent) were outside the Commission’s jurisdiction.

Within jurisdiction notices comprised of:

	42	District Court notices
	0	Childrens Court notices
	224	Magistrates Court notices
	7	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	50	Domestic Violence Order notices
	720	School Attendance notices
	1	School Enrolment notice
	79	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	4	Housing Tenancy notices

Of the 848 notices not within the Commission’s jurisdiction, there were 21 District Court notices, 615 Magistrates Court notices, 18 Domestic Violence Breach notices, 33 Domestic Violence Order notices, 151 School Attendance notices, 0 School Enrolment notices, 9 Child Safety and Welfare notices and 1 Housing Tenancy notice.

Details of notices within jurisdiction for each community are set out below:

•	Aurukun’s 484 notices constitute 43 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction across the welfare reform communities:

	33	District Court notices
	0	Childrens Court notices
	151	Magistrates Court notices
	2	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	26	Domestic Violence Order notices
	232	School Attendance notices
	0	School Enrolment notices
	40	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	0	Housing Tenancy notices

Eleven District Court notices, 210 Magistrates Court notices, 5 Domestic Violence Breach notices, 2 Domestic Violence Order notices, 11 School Attendance notices and 3 Child Safety and Welfare notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.

•	Coen’s 58 notices constitute 5 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction:

	0	District Court notices
	0	Childrens Court notices
	9	Magistrates Court notices
	2	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	2	Domestic Violence Order notices
	32	School Attendance notices
	1	School Enrolment notice
	11	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	1	Housing Tenancy notice

Five Magistrates Court notices, 2 School Attendance notices and one Housing Tenancy notice were processed as not within jurisdiction.

•	Doomadgee’s 293 notices constitute 26 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction:

	282	School Attendance notices
	0	School Enrolment notices
	11	Child Safety and Welfare notices

One hundred and thirty-two School Attendance notices and 4 Child Safety and Welfare notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.

•	Hope Vale’s 255 notices constitute 23 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction:

	9	District Court notices
	0	Childrens Court notices
	50	Magistrates Court notices
	1	Domestic Violence Breach notice
	16	Domestic Violence Order notices
	166	School Attendance notices
	0	School Enrolment notice
	12	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	1	Housing Tenancy notice

Ten District Court notices, 124 Magistrates Court notices, 5 Domestic Violence Breach notices, 11 Domestic Violence Order notices, 6 School Attendance notices and two Child Safety and Welfare notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.

•	Mossman Gorge’s 37 notices constitute 3 percent of the total notices in jurisdiction:

	0	District Court notices
	0	Childrens Court notices
	14	Magistrates Court notices
	2	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	6	Domestic Violence Order notice
	8	School Attendance notices
	0	School Enrolment notices
	5	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	2	Housing Tenancy notices

Two hundred and seventy-six Magistrates Court notices, 8 Domestic Violence Breach notices and 20 Domestic Violence Order notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.

Since its commencement the Commission has received 27,883 agency notices within its jurisdiction. Total notices decreased from 2,008 in quarter 33 to 1,975 in quarter 34. Of those notices in jurisdiction, District Court, Magistrates Court, Domestic Violence Breach, School Attendance, School Enrolment and Housing Tenancy notices decreased, whilst Domestic Violence Order and Child Safety and Welfare notices increased. Childrens Court notices remained unchanged.

District Court notices decreased this quarter to 42 from 44 received in the previous quarter. Aurukun increased by 4 notices, whilst Mossman Gorge decreased by 6 notices for the quarter. Coen and Hope Vale remained unchanged, with zero notices received for Coen and 9 notices received for Hope Vale. The Commission does not receive District Court notices for Doomadgee.

Effective from 1 July 2016 the Youth Justice Act 1992 was amended by the Youth Justice and Other Legislation Act (No. 1) 2016 and Youth Justice and Other Legislation Act (No. 2) 2016 prohibiting the publication of identifying information about all children dealt with under the Youth Justice Act. The effect of the amendments is that notices are unable to be provided to the Commission, as publication of identifying information is prohibited under s301 of the Youth Justice Act 1992.

Magistrates Court notices decreased this quarter to 224 from 300 received in the previous quarter. Three out of the four communities which have the Magistrates Court trigger, experienced a decrease in notices this quarter. Aurukun, Coen, and Hope Vale decreased by 11, 17 and 49 notices respectively, whilst Mossman Gorge increased by 1 notice. The Commission does not receive Magistrates Court notices for Doomadgee.

Domestic Violence Breach notices decreased from 22 in quarter 33 to 7 in quarter 34. All four communities which have the Domestic Violence Breach trigger experienced a decrease in notices this quarter. Aurukun and Coen decreased by 11 notices and 2 notices respectively, whilst Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge decreased by 1 notice each. The Commission does not receive Domestic Violence Breach notices for Doomadgee.

Domestic Violence Order notices increased from 41 in quarter 33 to 50 in quarter 34. Three out of the four communities which have the Domestic Violence Order trigger, experienced an increase in notices this quarter. Aurukun, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge increased by 4 notices, 3 notices and 5 notices respectively, whilst Coen decreased by 3 notices. The Commission does not receive Domestic Violence Order notices for Doomadgee.

School Attendance notices decreased from 800 in quarter 33 to 720 in quarter 34. Four out of the five communities which have the School Attendance trigger experienced a decrease in notices this quarter. Aurukun, Doomadgee, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge decreased by 26 notices, 28 notices, 24 notices and 3 notices respectively, whilst Coen increased by 1 notice.

School Enrolment notices decreased from 4 in quarter 33 to 1 in quarter 34. Aurukun decreased by 2 notices while Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge both decreased by 1 notice each and Coen increased by 1 notice.

Child Safety and Welfare notices increased from 65 in quarter 33 to 79 in quarter 34. Four out of the five communities which have the Child Safety and Welfare trigger experienced an increase in notices this quarter. Aurukun and Coen increased by 18 notices and 1 notice respectively, whilst Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge increased by 5 notices each. Doomadgee decreased by 15 notices for the quarter.

Housing Tenancy notices decreased to 4 from 18 received in the previous quarter. All four communities which have the Housing Tenancy trigger experienced a decrease in notices this quarter Aurukun decreased by 5 notices, Coen decreased by 1 notice, Hope Vale decreased by 3 notices and Mossman Gorge decreased by 5 notices. The Commission does not receive Housing Tenancy notices for Doomadgee.

The Commission receives school attendance data from the Department of Education and Training (DET). This data is published on the Commission’s web page at http://www.frcq.org.au when available.

Table 2: In jurisdiction notices by type and quarter 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Notices by Agency Processed	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
District Court	16	4	9	44	42	
Children’s Court	41	29	24	0	0	
Magistrates Court	244	322	252	300	224	
Domestic Violence Breach	0	22	10	22	7	
Domestic Violence Order	0	30	49	41	50	
School Attendance	614	544	686	800	720	
School Enrolment	7	4	4	4	1	
Child Safety	52	43	24	65	79	
Housing Tenancy	12	19	23	18	4	
TOTAL	986	1017	1081	1294	1127	

Table 3: In jurisdiction notices by community and quarter 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Community	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
Aurukun	438	479	498	513	484	
Coen	41	56	54	78	58	
Doomadgee	231	211	294	336	293	
Hope Vale	247	226	207	325	255	
Mossman Gorge	29	45	28	42	37	
TOTAL	986	1017	1081	1294	1127	

Since commencement in July 2008, 87.3 percent of clients have received more than one notice with 61.0 percent of clients receiving more than five notices. Frequently this illustrates multiple child school absences for the one family or multiple Magistrates Court notices relating to one incident. Conversely, 12.7 percent of clients have received only one notice.

Table 4: FRC clients by number of notices 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2016.

Number of Notices Received	Number of Clients	
1	260	
2	200	
3	138	
4	114	
5	85	
>5	1249	
TOTAL	2046	

(Note:  Counting rules stipulate that where multiple charges are received each charge is counted as an individual notice or each child’s absence is counted as one notice – i.e. if three children from the one family were absent, that was counted as three notices).

Conferences
Six hundred and thirty conferences were held across the five communities in quarter 34 resulting in 12 FRA’s being entered into, 63 orders made to attend community support services and 59 CIM orders. Other outcomes as a result of conferencing during the quarter were decisions for no further action, rescheduling and scheduling to return for review with compliance. Twenty-six new clients were added to the Commission’s database during the quarter. Details of conferencing activity in each community for quarter 34 are as follows:

	228 conferences were held in Aurukun
	43 conferences were held in Coen
	200 conferences were held in Doomadgee
	122 conferences were held in Hope Vale
	37 conferences were held in Mossman Gorge.

Conferences decreased from 647 in quarter 33 to 630 in quarter 34.

Table 5: Conferences by community and quarter 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Community	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
Aurukun	190	211	247	242	228	
Coen	18	28	28	25	43	
Doomadgee	189	146	166	219	200	
Hope Vale	92	121	110	109	122	
Mossman Gorge	37	36	51	52	37	
TOTAL	526	542	602	647	630	

Referrals
The number of referrals to service providers increased from 64 in quarter 33 to 82 in quarter 34, relating to 67 clients. Since commencement the Commission has referred 951 clients to service providers resulting in approximately 46.0 percent of clients on 12 month service referral plans. Referrals in the communities during the quarter were as follows: Aurukun increased by 19; Coen increased by 11; Doomadgee decreased by 6; Hope Vale increased by 4 and Mossman Gorge decreased by 10.
Table 6: Referral pathways by referral type and quarter 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Referral Type	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
MPower	6	3	6	6	14	
WBC - RDFS	22	28	35	38	30	
WBC – NWRH	2	0	3	2	5	
SCM	2	0	0	0	4	
Parenting Program	13	1	11	3	27	
Home Pride	1	0	1	1	0	
QLD Health	1	1	0	4	0	
Save the Children	5	1	0	10	2	
TOTAL	52	34	56	64	82	

Conditional Income Management
Fifty-nine CIM orders were made in quarter 34, a decrease of 10 from quarter 33. Since the commencement of the Commission 1,985 CIM orders inclusive of original orders, extensions and amendments have been made relating to 791 clients. Further activity during the quarter is as follows: Aurukun, Doomadgee, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge decreased by 6, 5, 1 and 3 CIM orders respectively, whilst Coen increased by 5 CIM orders.

As at 31 December 2016, 38.2 percent of the Commission’s clients have been subject to a CIM order over the past eight and a half years. As at 31 December 2016 there were 180 clients subject to a CIM order which equates to 8.7 percent of clients on a CIM order at a point in time. Commissioners continue to negotiate with clients to achieve desirable outcomes or to demonstrate motivation and commitment to make appropriate life choices. Demonstrated positive steps toward taking responsibility provide the Commissioners with sufficient reason to consider revoking CIM orders when requested by the client.

The Commission processed 5 VIM agreements this quarter and since the commencement of the Commission in 2008, 115 clients have requested a VIM agreement. Those clients that request a VIM agreement use income management as a savings and budget tool, often for a specified period and to deter family members from accessing their income.

Table 7: Conditional Income Management orders by community and quarter 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Community	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
Aurukun	24	31	35	27	21	
Coen	1	1	2	3	8	
Doomadgee	0	0	28	23	18	
Hope Vale	18	4	17	7	6	
Mossman Gorge	10	6	6	9	6	
TOTAL	53	42	88	69	59	

Case Management
As at 31 December 2016, 188 clients were being case-managed, an increase from 160 in quarter 33. Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge increased by 14, 8, 4 and 3 respectively, Doomadgee decreased by 1.

Show Cause Notices
During quarter 34, and similar to the past four quarters, no Show Cause hearings have been held.

Applications to Amend or End Agreements or Orders
Thirteen Applications to Amend or End a Family Responsibilities Agreement or Order were received in quarter 34, a decrease of 7 from quarter 33. Outcomes of the 13 applications received are as follows:

	8 Applications granted and Income Management agreements and orders revoked
	1 CIM order and existing case plan revoked and client placed on a new case plan
	1 CIM order percentage decreased from 75 to 60 percent for the remaining period of
		the existing order
	1 Application dismissed
	1 Application dismissed and client placed on a new CIM order at 90 percent for
		12 months
	1 Application rescheduled for next quarter.

The Commission continues to encourage clients to participate in the Amend or End process. Commissioners report increasing client confidence to question decisions and the reasons behind decisions, both for decisions delivered by the Commission and decisions delivered by external agencies and bodies.

Table 8: Applications to Amend or End FRA or Order by community and quarter 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Community	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
Aurukun	5	7	8	9	4	
Coen	0	1	0	3	2	
Doomadgee	0	0	0	1	3	
Hope Vale	6	7	7	6	4	
Mossman Gorge	2	5	2	1	0	
TOTAL	13	20	17	20	13	

2.  Future Direction and Challenges

Doomadgee
Doomadgee experienced the second highest primary school attendance in Term 1 2016 (71.6 percent) since the beginning of the 2013 school year. As reported in Quarter 33, attendance dropped markedly in terms 2 and 3, 2016, to a low of 51.0 percent. Commissioners believe this drop in attendance was significantly impacted by the Local Council elections which occurred at the beginning of term 2. The Doomadgee Mayor’s publically expressed views on the value of State education has had a notable impact on school attendance and community motivation. Following the pronounced drop in school attendance and subsequent meetings held between FRC management and Local Commissioners to address the drop in attendance and develop strategies to support the school, primary attendance has improved from 51.0 percent to 57.1 percent in term 4.

The Doomadgee Local Commissioners met with David Morris, Assistant Regional Director, North West Region, Education Queensland in October to discuss (amongst other concerns) the need for more training and management support for the Student Attendance Officer (SAO) team. The Commissioners believe that the team, although extremely dedicated, could be utilised more effectively and would benefit from direction and mentoring in their daily activities. The Commissioners also discussed their frustration at not being able to assist those community members who do not fall within the jurisdiction of the Commission in improving their children’s school attendance – approximately 20% of the school population.

Of particular concern to the Doomadgee Commissioners is an identified lack of support for parents wishing to transition their children to boarding schools. Support is needed in the application process, provision of identity documents, deadlines, school processes and financial requirements.

The Doomadgee Commissioners continue to build a strong and positive relationship with the community and report that some community members are now attending and requesting assistance for a range of concerns even whilst they are not scheduled for conference.

Aurukun
Quarter 34 saw several transforming developments for the Aurukun school. Following the Minister for Education, Kate Jones, ordering a departmental review of the Aurukun school (the finding of which endorsed Good to Great Schools Australia’s (GGSA) ongoing role at Aurukun but with greater departmental oversight and limited direct instruction curriculum) negotiations commenced between EQ and GGSA for the joint running of the school. In November a new Executive Principal was appointed to the school after an extensive recruitment process undertaken by EQ, and shortly thereafter Noel Pearson wrote to the Queensland Government advising that GGSA would withdraw its support to the school from 2017 as negotiations had reached an impasse. Negotiations are continuing between Education Queensland and GGSA in regard to the Coen and Hope Vale schools which are run by GGSA.

Operations
Similar to Quarter 33, no Childrens Court notices were received for Quarter 34 due to amendments to the Youth Justice Act 1992 which became effective from 1 July 2016. In January 2017 the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (DJAG) advised DATSIP that the previous position prior to 1 July 2016 cannot be reinstated. DJAG’s preferred position is for Youth Justice to work collaboratively with DATSIP and the FRC to support voluntary engagement with the FRC. The Commission will be liaising further with DJAG in regard to what practical options may be available to the Commission at the community level as voluntary intervention is problematic with disengaged youth.

In the Commission’s 2015-16 Annual Report it was revealed that the Commission had reviewed trends in the numbers of Child Safety and Welfare notices received for the financial year and reported that there had been a significant reduction in notifications received. Below is a table of the within jurisdiction Child Safety and Welfare notices received from July 2015 to the end of this quarter. We note fairly significant increases overall and have been advised that the Queensland Police Service have commenced a ‘Speak Up, Be Strong, Be Heard’ project to develop an ethos of child protection through increasing community awareness of abuse, strengthening reporting obligations and improving  agency interventions within the Far Northern district.

 Child Safety Notices
 Within Jurisdiction	2015-2016	2016-2017	
	Qtr 29	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
 Aurukun	5	17	5	0	22	40	
 Coen	4	2	5	2	10	11	
 Doomadgee	17	18	4	7	26	11	
 Hope Vale	8	14	26	12	7	12	
 Mossman Gorge	4	1	3	3	0	5	
 Total	38	52	43	24	65	79	
Table 9: Child Safety and Welfare notices within jurisdiction by community and quarter 1 July 2015 to 31 December 2016.

3.  Financial Operations

Governance

Part 12 of the Act provides for the establishment of the Family Responsibilities Board (the Board).

The Board has a mandate to give advice and make recommendations to the Minister about the operation of the Commission and similarly to give advice and make recommendations to the Commissioner about the performance of the Commission’s functions.

The Board must meet at least every six months. The meeting may be held by using any technology available which will allow for efficient and effective communication, however, the Board members must meet in person at least once a year. A quorum for the Board is comprised of two members. The Board’s membership consists of the following members:

•	Ms Clare O’Connor	Director-General, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
•	Mr Noel Pearson		Founder, Cape York Partnership as the Executive Chairman, representing Cape York Institute.
•	Mr Troy Sloan	First Assistant Secretary, Indigenous Affairs, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Operational

In meeting obligations under Part 3 of the Act, the Family Responsibilities Commission Registry (the Registry) commenced operations on 1 July 2008 with a central Registry office established in Cairns and local Registry offices operating in each of the five welfare reform communities.

The Registry, managed by the Registrar, provides corporate and operational support to the Commissioner, the Local Commissioners and the Local Coordinators.

Financial

Income:
•	Income received by the Commission for the period 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2016 totalled $1,043,662. This income consisted of:
•	$407,500 Queensland Government funding
•	$156,500 Queensland Government
•	$450,000 Australian Government funding
•	$3,661 interest received
•	$26,001 received in sundry income.
The balance of available funds in the bank as at 31 December 2016 is $1,520,213.

Expenditure:
•	Expenditure for the period 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2016 was $869,479. This total represents 20 percent of the projected annual expenditure of $4,253,232.

1 October 2016 to	Expenditure	1 October 2016 to	Expenditure	
31 December 2016	Qtr 34	31 December 2016	Qtr 34	
				
Employee salaries – FRC staff	$435,143	Internet & IT	$43,981	
Employee salaries – Local Commissioners	$88,350	Motor vehicle	$15,665	
Employee on costs – FRC staff	$91,543	Property	$53,257	
Employee on costs – Local Commissioners	$11,682	Travel	$37,538	
Other employment costs	$10,862	General operating	$58,558	
Communications	$4,955	Other expenses	$17,945	
		Total	$869,479	
Table 10: Expenditure in quarter 34.

Quarter 34 disbursement of expenditure by category and percentage of total expenditure.

Table 11: Total FRC Operating Costs 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2016.

Expenditure Category	Percentage of Total Expenditure	
Employee salaries – FRC staff	50.05%	
Employee salaries – Local Commissioners	10.16%	
Employee on costs – FRC staff	10.53%	
Employee on costs – Local Commissioners	1.34%	
Other employment costs	1.25%	
Communications	0.57%	
Internet & IT	5.06%	
Motor vehicle	1.80%	
Property	6.13%	
Travel	4.32%	
General operating	6.73%	
Other expenses	2.06%	
Total	100.0%	

Regional operational expenditure by location and quarter.

Table 12: Operating Costs by remote location 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Community	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
Aurukun	$96K	$115K	$167K	$124K	$117K	
Coen	$24K	$41K	$58K	$39K	$34K	
Doomadgee	$144K	$141K	$185K	$148K	$136K	
Hope Vale	$82K	$84K	$120K	$75K	$72K	
Mossman Gorge	$44K	$47K	$55K	$39K	$38K	
TOTAL	$390K	$428K	$585K	$425K	$397K	

Cairns Registry expenditure for quarter 34 compared to the previous four quarters.

Table 13: Quarterly Operating Costs Cairns 1 October 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Community	Qtr 30	Qtr 31	Qtr 32	Qtr 33	Qtr 34	
Corporate Services	$202K	$221K	$229K	$245K	$221K	
Operations	$250K	$272K	$248K	$246K	$213K	
Gov/Board Reporting	$37K	$33K	$35K	$36K	$36K	
Abnormal Expenditure	$0K	$0K	$1K	$0K	$2K	
TOTAL	$489K	$526K	$513K	$527K	$472K	

APPENDIX A			

	SITTING CALENDAR 2016
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES COMMISSION
1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016		
Week Beginning	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Other	
4 January						Cooktown Circuit	
11 January						Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit	
18 January						19 ASC Meeting, 20/21 DSC Meeting
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
25 January		Public Holiday				26 Australia Day	
1 February		2	3	4		Cooktown Circuit	
		2	3				
8 February	8	9	10	11		Aurukun Cape B Circuit	
15 February		16	17	18		16 ASC Meeting, 17/18 DSC Meeting
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		16	17				
22 February	22	23	24				
29 February		1	2	3			
		1		3			
7 March	7	8	9			Cooktown Circuit	
14 March		15	16	17		15 ASC Meeting, 16/17 DSC Meeting
Local Government Elections 19/3/2015
Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		15		17			
21 March	21	22	23		Public Holiday	25 Good Friday	
	21						
28 March	Public Holiday			31		28 Easter Monday	
4 April						Cooktown Circuit	
11 April		12	13	14		Aurukun Cape B Circuit	
		12		14			
18 April	18	19	20	21		18 ASC Meeting, 20/21 DSC Meeting
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
25 April	Public Holiday		27	28		25 Anzac Day	
		26		28			
2 May	Public Holiday					2 Labour Day
Commissioner Development Week
Cooktown Circuit	

	SITTING CALENDAR 2016
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES COMMISSION
1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016		
Week Beginning	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Other	
9 May		10	11	12		Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit	
16 May		17	18	19		17 ASC Meeting, 18/19 DSC Meeting
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		17		19			
23 May	23	24	25				
30 May		31	1	2		Cooktown Circuit	
		31					
6 June	6	7	8				
13 June			15	16		15/16 DSC Meeting
Aurukun Cape B Circuit	
		14		16			
				16			
20 June	20	21	22	23		20 ASC Meeting
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		21					
27 June							
4 July						Cooktown Circuit	
11 July		12	13			Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit	
18 July		19	20	21	Public Holiday	Estimates 19, 20, 21 and 22
22 Cairns Show Day
19 ASC Meeting, 20/21 DSC Meeting
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		19					
25 July	25	26	27	28		25 Mossman Show
Estimates 26, 27, 28 and 29	
1 August		2	3	Public Holiday		4 Aurukun Day
Cooktown Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		2		4			
8 August	8	9	10				
15 August		16	17	18		16 ASC Meeting, 17/18 DSC Meeting
Aurukun Cape B Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		16		18			
22 August	22	23	24		Public Holiday	26 Doomadgee Day	

	SITTING CALENDAR 2016
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES COMMISSION
1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016		
Week Beginning	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Other	
29 August		30	31	1			
		30					
5 September	5	6	7			Cooktown Circuit	
12 September		13	14	15		Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		13		15			
19 September						20 ASC Meeting, 21/22 DSC Meeting	
26 September							
3 October	Public Holiday	4	5	6		3 Queens Birthday
Cooktown Circuit	
				6			
10 October		11	12	13		Aurukun Cape B Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		11					
17 October		18				19/20 DSC Meeting	
		18	19				
		18		20			
24 October	24	25	26			27 ASC Meeting	
31 October		1				Cooktown Circuit	
		1	2				
				3			
7 November		8	9	10		Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
		8					
14 November		15				15 ASC Meeting, 16/17 DSC Meeting
Aurukun Cape B & Coen Cape A Circuit	
		15	16				
		15		17			
21 November		22	23	24			
		22					
28 November		29	30	1		CYAAA schools finish 2/12/2016	
5 December		6				Aurukun Cape B Circuit
Doomadgee - Gulf Circuit	
12 December						Cooktown Circuit
13 ASC Meeting	
19 December						21/22 DSC Meeting	
26 December	Public Holiday	Public Holiday				25 Christmas Day, 26 Boxing Day
27, 28, 29, 30 Office closed for Xmas	

LEGEND

	Office Days	
	Public Holidays	
	Aurukun Sitting	
	Coen Sitting	
	Doomadgee Sittings	
	Hope Vale Sitting	
	Mossman Gorge Sitting	
ASC	Aurukun Shire Council Meeting	
DSC	Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council Meeting	
0	Cancelled Conference	

OFFICE	CONTACT NAME	Phone	Mobile	Facsimile	
Cairns – Registrar	Ms Maxine McLeod	4057 3871	0409 461 624	4041 0974	
Cairns – A/Client Manager	Mrs Anne Crampton	4057 3874	0419 647 948	4041 0974	
Cairns – Accountant	Ms Tracey Patterson	4057 3875	0429 495 353	4041 0974	
Aurukun Local Coordinator	Ms Dellis Gledhill	4060 6185	0428 985 106	4060 6094	
Coen Local Coordinator	Ms Sandi Rye		0417 798 392	4041 0974	
Doomadgee Local Coordinator	Mr Bryce Coxall	4745 8111	0418 666 204	4745 8366	
Hope Vale Local Coordinator	Ms Samantha Foster	4060 9153	0408 482 026	4060 9137	
Mossman Gorge Local Coordinator	Ms Sandi Rye		0417 798 392	4041 0974