Operational highlights
The following report details our performance for the period 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. Commissioners, Local Coordinators and Registry staff have worked together to ensure smooth and effective operations during the reporting period.
The Registry has continued to work on streamlining operational processes to support the efficient running of conferences in the communities. With the additional requirement under the FRC Act for the Courts to provide the Commission with notice of DVOs made, along with the recent commencement of the receipt of Childrens Court notices, the Registry has developed new procedures and tools to incorporate these notices into the CRM database and enable the effective conferencing of clients subject to the notices.
Local Commissioners and Local Coordinators have also adapted very well to conferencing clients who are the subject of these new notices. For Childrens Court notices, the Commissioners have had success through conferencing both the young subjects of the notices and their families to support them to meet the conditions of orders in place, and suggest strategies and support services for those involved. Unfortunately legislative changes coming into effect from 1 July 2016 will prohibit the sharing of information in regard to Childrens Court matters and the Commission will be working with DATSIP and DJAG to effect solutions to this legal barrier.
Conferences in relation to DVOs have provided a challenge well met by the Local Commissioners. The Commission has received a total of 79 notices for DVOs and 32 notices for DVBs which fell within its jurisdiction since the amendments to the FRC Act came into effect in December 2015. Forty-eight conferences have been held in relation to domestic violence notices (orders and breaches) during this time. Despite the lack of specialist services in community, Commissioners have encouraged clients who are the subject of DVOs to attend Men’s and Women’s Groups, seek help and support from family and community and have referred clients to counselling services at Wellbeing Centres.
The Commission does not receive details of the aggrieved in domestic violence matters, making it difficult to offer support to victims. To overcome this barrier, Local Commissioners meet to establish the facts of each DVO and plan how to deal with each particular case, considering community politics, pressures and the circumstances of the families involved. Local Commissioners’ knowledge and understanding of their communities has enabled them to provide support to victims of domestic violence wherever possible.
With the support of Local Coordinators, Local Commissioners have continued to grow local authority and have conducted 916 conferences without the assistance of Commissioner Glasgow or Deputy Commissioner Curtin. This is an increase of 147 conferences from the 2014-15 reporting year. Many of the Local Commissioners have now been serving their communities and the Commission for eight years, and we extend our continued thanks and appreciation for the passion and commitment with which all Local Commissioners continue to perform their often difficult role. Together with the Local Coordinators, Local Commissioners strive to build and sustain positive relationships with other agencies and service providers, learn from their colleagues and try new and innovative strategies in conferencing and case management.
The upgrade to the CRM database has enabled the Commission to explore how to better utilise the data collected to measure the impact of conferencing. As an example, the Commission can now graphically chart a client’s conference history against their child’s school attendance. This then paves the way for the Commission to look more holistically at the impact conferencing has on social outcomes through mapping attendance at services, progression through programs, the receipt of further notices, and school attendance.
The Commission currently monitors the progress of clients who have been placed on case plans through monthly reports remitted by service providers, and by reviewing matters at subsequent conferences. A project is underway to review the Commission’s framework of monthly progress reports to identify limitations, develop a framework which better serves the changing needs of both the Commission and service providers and enable the Commission to better understand clients’ progress towards their goals and broader social outcomes. Consultation has occurred with a range of service providers, DATSIP and other stakeholders. The Commission will develop and implement the new framework in the coming months.

Performance statement
Following are the performance measures used by the Commission to identify workload and operating results.
Performance measures	2014-2015
actual result	2015-2016
actual result	
Percentage increase in Local Commissioners sitting without Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner	251%	19%	
Percentage of CIM clients who have had CIM orders revoked or reduced	New Measure	28%	
Discontinued measure
A performance measure included in the 2014-15 Annual Report which has been discontinued, is reported in the following table. This measure was discontinued because it does not demonstrate the effect of restoring socially responsible standards of behaviour for only those clients who were on a CIM order at some point in the financial year (as demonstrated in the table).
Performance measure	2014-2015
actual result	2015-2016
actual result	
Percentage of clients who have had CIM orders revoked or reduced	3%	3%	
School attendance rate for 2008-2016 term 2
School attendance data	Aurukun community Primary8,9	Aurukun community Secondary3	Coen4,8	Doomadgee5	Hope Vale8	Mossman Gorge community4,6	
Prior methodology7		
Term 2 2008	44.0%	19.8%	96.8%	53.1%	87.6%	60.9%	
Term 2 2009	68.8%	40.3%	93.6%	52.0%	86.9%	81.6%	
Term 2 2010	64.7%	32.7%	92.2%	57.2%	83.5%	79.1%	
Term 2 2011	73.2%	51.5%	86.6%	52.7%	78.6%	79.5%	
Term 2 2012	61.5%	17.4%	88.5%	51.9%	78.8%	74.7%	
New methodology		
Revised Term 2 2012	61.3%	15.6%	87.9%	49.9%	77.3%	70.0%	
Term 2 2013	63.4%	-	89.3%	46.8%	70.2%	84.0%	
Term 2 2014	64.7%	23.2%	92.6%	59.8%	77.6%	64.0%	
Term 2 2015	57.5%	-	88.7%	55.9%	83.3%	67.2%	
Term 2 2016	51.5%	-	89.2%	49.6%	76.7%	72.4%	
3. In 2013 Aurukun secondary campus schooling transitioned to the Alternative Secondary Pathway (ASP) program facilitated by Western Cape College (WCC). Term 2 2013 attendance rate for WCC – Aurukun Secondary Campus has been withdrawn from the data table because administrative processes used at the school during that period resulted in attendance rates that were not comparable over time, or with other schools. Effective from 1 January 2015 DET closed the ASP program.
4. Caution should be used when examining the percentage changes in attendance for both Coen and the Mossman Gorge community. Both these have relatively small numbers of students and a small numerical change can result in a large percentage difference in the overall attendance figures.
5. From July to December 2015, Doomadgee State School operated on a weekly schedule of four extended days (8:30 am to 3:00 pm - Monday to Thursday) and one short day (8:30 am to 12:30 pm - Friday). The counting rule applied for Doomadgee State School was not adjusted to account for the extended days. From term 1 2016, Doomadgee State School has returned to five standard school days.
6. Mossman Gorge community attendance includes attendance for school-identified students from Mossman State School and Mossman State High School.
7. The transition of Queensland schools to the ‘OneSchool’ IT system has resulted in a variation in the calculation of student attendance. Effective from January 2013 statistics are being calculated on the attendance history of each student on each day, irrespective of enrolment history. Students with high mobility will now be accurately reflected in student attendance reporting. DET advise that the student attendance series based on the new methodology is not directly comparable to the prior methodology.
8. As of term 1, 2015 CYAAA moved to OneSchool roll marking in line with DET policy using students being two hours late as the trigger for the A (absent) code to be entered.
9. In term 2 2016, Aurukun Campus of CYAAA was closed from 11-18 May (inclusive) and again from 26 May to 24 June (inclusive). Therefore, the attendance rate presented covers approximately five and a half weeks of the 11 week term.
Notices and conferences by community
From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, the Commission received a total of 6,023 agency notices of which 4,254 were in jurisdiction, comprising:
	94	District Court notices
	116	Childrens Court notices
	1172	Magistrates Court notices
	32	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	79	Domestic Violence Order notices
	2509	School Attendance notices
	26	School Enrolment notices
	157	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	69	Housing Tenancy notices
1,769 notices were not within jurisdiction, comprising: 
	1	Supreme Court notice
	30	District Court notices
	15	Childrens Court notices
	1005	Magistrates Court notices
	28	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	57	Domestic Violence Order notices
	607	School Attendance notices
	1	School Enrolment notice
	14	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	11	Housing Tenancy notices
2,347 conferences were held in the period.
Aurukun
Aurukun accounted for 1938 notices, 45.56 percent of the total notices that were in jurisdiction, comprising:
	52	District Court notices
	79	Childrens Court notices
	805	Magistrates Court notices
	16	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	38	Domestic Violence Order notices
	900	School Attendance notices
	12	School Enrolment notices
	27	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	9	Housing Tenancy notices	19 District Court notices, 4 Childrens Court notices, 345 Magistrates Court notices, 14 Domestic Violence Breach notices, 5 Domestic Violence Order notices, 44 School Attendance notices, 1 Child Safety and Welfare notice and 3 Housing and Tenancy notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.
892 conferences were held in Aurukun.
Coen
Coen accounted for 209 notices, 4.91 percent of the total notices that were in jurisdiction, comprising:
	5	District Court notices
	0	Childrens Court notices
	74	Magistrates Court notices
	7	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	9	Domestic Violence Order notices
	80	School Attendance notices
	6	School Enrolment notices
	13	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	15	Housing Tenancy notices

1 Supreme Court notice, 2 District Court notices, 23 Magistrates Court notices, 1 Domestic Violence Order notice, 10 School Attendance notices, 1 School Enrolment notice, 1 Child Safety and Welfare notice and 3 Housing Tenancy notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.
98 conferences were held in Coen.
Doomadgee
Doomadgee accounted for 1007 notices, 23.67 percent of the total notices that were in jurisdiction, comprising:
	961	School Attendance notices
	46	Child Safety and Welfare notices

457 School Attendance notices and 10 Child Safety and Welfare notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.
706 conferences were held in Doomadgee.

Hope Vale
Hope Vale accounted for 956 notices, 22.47 percent of the total notices that were in jurisdiction, comprising:
	33	District Court notices
	34	Childrens Court notices
	247	Magistrates Court notices
	8	Domestic Violence Breach notices
	21	Domestic Violence Order notices
	516	School Attendance notices
	5	School Enrolment notices
	60	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	32	Housing Tenancy notices

8 District Court notices, 11 Childrens Court notices, 277 Magistrates Court notices, 4 Domestic Violence Breach notices, 18 Domestic Violence Order notices, 76 School Attendance notices and 5 Housing and Tenancy notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.
476 conferences were held in Hope Vale.
Mossman Gorge
Mossman Gorge accounts for 144 notices, 3.39 percent of the total notices that were in jurisdiction, comprising:
	4	District Court notices
	3	Childrens Court notices
	46	Magistrates Court notices
	1	Domestic Violence Breach notice
	11	Domestic Violence Order notices
	52	School Attendance notices
	3	School Enrolment notices
	11	Child Safety and Welfare notices
	13	Housing Tenancy notices

1 District Court notice, 360 Magistrates Court notices, 10 Domestic Violence Breach notices, 33 Domestic Violence Order notices, 20 School Attendance notices and 2 Child Safety and Welfare notices were processed as not within jurisdiction.
175 conferences were held in Mossman Gorge.
	Table 1: In jurisdiction notices by type and quarter
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Notices Processed by Agency	
Qtr 29	
Qtr 30	
Qtr 31	
Qtr 32	

District Court	
65	
16	
4	
9	

Childrens Court	
22	
41	
29	
24	

Magistrates Court	
354	
244	
322	
252	

Domestic Violence Breach	
0	
0	
22	
10	

Domestic Violence Order	
0	
0	
30	
49	

School Attendance	
665	
614	
544	
686	

School Enrolment	
11	
7	
4	
4	

Child Safety	
38	
52	
43	
24	

Housing Tenancy	
15	
12	
19	
23	

TOTAL	
1170	
986	
1017	
1081	

Table 2: In jurisdiction notices by type and community
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Notices Processed by Community	
AU	
CO	
DM	
HV	
MG	

District Court	
52	
5	
0	
33	
4	

Childrens Court	
79	
0	
0	
34	
3	

Magistrates Court	
805	
74	
0	
247	
46	

Domestic Violence Breach	
16	
7	
0	
8	
1	

Domestic Violence Order	
38	
9	
0	
21	
11	

School Attendance	
900	
80	
961	
516	
52	

School Enrolment	
12	
6	
0	
5	
3	

Child Safety	
27	
13	
46	
60	
11	

Housing Tenancy	
9	
15	
0	
32	
13	

TOTAL	
1938	
209	
1007	
956	
144	

	

Table 3: In jurisdiction notices by community and quarter
 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Community	
Qtr 29	
Qtr 30	
Qtr 31	
Qtr 32	

Aurukun	
523	
438	
479	
498	

Coen	
58	
41	
56	
54	

Doomadgee	
271	
231	
211	
294	

Hope Vale	
276	
247	
226	
207	

Mossman Gorge	
42	
29	
45	
28	

TOTAL	
1170	
986	
1017	
1081	

Of significance in the number of notices received in the 2015-16 financial year is the overall decline (48 percent) from the previous year in the number of Child Safety and Welfare notices. The reduction is most notable in Aurukun and Hope Vale, where the number of notices has decreased by 75 percent and 47 percent respectively. As mentioned elsewhere in this report, the Commission is working with DCCSDS to identify the contributing factors to this apparent decrease in reporting. The Commission is also supporting the QPS in an upcoming project to educate communities and police officers on children’s safety and the importance of reporting suspected abuse and neglect.
The increase in the number of District Court notices received (94 notices up from 25 in the previous year) reflects the first full financial year of receiving notifications since amendments to the FRC Act towards the end of 2014, as well as the honing of processes to provide notices to the Commission. An 82 percent increase is noted in the number of Magistrates Court notices received for the Aurukun community. This increase may in part be attributable to the community unrest experienced during late 2015 and early 2016. The number of Magistrates Court notices received in the quarter from January to March 2016 for Aurukun represents a 64 percent increase from the same period the previous year. The Commission received a total of 116 Childrens Court notices during the reporting period. Young people who have disengaged from school, community and work, and display antisocial or criminal behaviours are a key focus for the Commission. Unfortunately, as a result of recent amendments to the Youth Justice Act 1992, the Commission will no longer receive notices from the Childrens Court. The Commission looks forward to a quick resolution of what appears to be an unintentional consequence of the legislative amendments, and will continue to work with Youth Justice to provide support to young people in welfare reform communities.	The number of school attendance notices received for the Doomadgee community increased by 40 percent from the previous year. The Doomadgee State School has worked hard for the past 12 months to streamline processes for collecting attendance data and providing notices to the Commission. The increase in the number of notices may be attributable in part to these improvements, along with an increase in enrolment numbers. Through a whole community school preparation initiative led by DPMC and the Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council, the Doomadgee State School achieved a greatly improved attendance rate of 67.8 percent in term 1 of 2016. School attendance fell, however, to 49.6 percent in term 2. This drop can be attributed to a range of factors including the local council elections, an increase in the number of sorry days, and a less than full complement of teaching staff. The Commission will continue to work with the school and the Doomadgee community to lift attendance in the coming financial year.
The Doomadgee Local Commissioners look forward to the introduction of further triggers to offer more holistic support to Doomadgee community members.
From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, 22.8 percent of the Commission’s clients who received a notice in the financial year received more than five notices. Of these clients 43 percent were the subject of notices from more than one notifying agency, a statistic which provides some insight into the complexity of the circumstances in which some Commission clients live. Thirty-five percent of these clients have received a combination of school attendance and child safety notifications.
Table 4: FRC clients by number of notices 
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Number of Notices Received	
Number of Clients	

1	
287	

2	
166	

3	
119	

4	
181	

5	
77	

>5	
245	

TOTAL	
1075	

Note: Agency notices are counted on the basis of the number of persons named on the notice. For example a Child Safety and Welfare notice relating to two parents is counted as two notices and if three children from one family have an unexplained absence on one day, it is counted as three individual notices.	

Table 5: FRC conferences by community and quarter
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Community	
Qtr 29	
Qtr 30	
Qtr 31	
Qtr 32	

Aurukun	
244	
190	
211	
247	

Coen	
24	
18	
28	
28	

Doomadgee	
205	
189	
146	
166	

Hope Vale	
153	
92	
121	
110	

Mossman Gorge	
51	
37	
36	
51	

TOTAL	
677	
526	
542	
602	

Referrals
Referrals to service providers are an integral part of achieving the Commission’s strategic outcomes of improved community wellbeing, and improved community responsibility. From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, 195 referrals for 166 clients were made to service providers. During the reporting period, community support services were provided by: RFDS Wellbeing Centres; Opportunity Hub services delivered by CYP including the Strong Families Parenting Program, Home Pride, and MPower Money Management; school case managers at CYAAA Schools; Queensland Health; Save the Children; and North and West Remote Health.
As part of a range of measures aimed at increasing the efficacy of referrals to community support services, the Commission is reviewing its own referral practices. Strategies under consideration include more detailed referrals, especially when explaining the outcomes sought by the client and the Commission, shorter case plans depending on individual circumstances and working with service providers to improve information exchange during the ‘handover’ of clients to service providers after conference.
Several additional services have approached the Commission this year offering to provide support to clients through direct referrals. The Commission is investigating the possibility of entering into agreements with these service providers for service delivery to occur on a no fee basis, and considers this is an indication of the regard with which the Commission and its conferencing practices are held in welfare reform communities.	Commission has also worked with the newly established Cape York Girl Academy to identify potential students, and continues to collaborate closely with the Department of Education’s TSS and the Aurukun Youth Orbiting Program to transition students to boarding school or support young people through alternative pathways to employment.
Table 6: FRC referral pathways by referral type and quarter 
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Referral Type	
Qtr 29	
Qtr 30	
Qtr 31	
Qtr 32	

MPower	
3	
6	
3	
6	

WBC – RFDS	
34	
22	
28	
35	

WBC – NWRH	
7	
2	
0	
3	

SCM	
1	
2	
0	
0	

Parenting Program	
2	
13	
1	
11	

Home Pride	
0	
1	
0	
1	

QLD Health	
1	
1	
1	
0	

Save the Children	
5	
5	
1	
0	

TOTAL	
53	
52	
34	
56	

Conditional income management
In this reporting period 249 CIM orders were issued to 202 clients. CIM remains a flexible tool used by Commissioners to improve the welfare of children by encouraging families to ensure basic household needs are met.
Included in the figure for this reporting period are the 28 CIM orders issued in the Doomadgee community since the beginning of term 2, 2016. Doomadgee Local Commissioners have approached the initial issue of BasicsCards to their clients in as positive and cooperative a way as possible, explaining the benefits of income management to clients who may require some additional support. The Doomadgee Commissioners have now also begun to use CIM orders as a tool to encourage engagement with the Commission and an incentive to improve school attendance.
Across the welfare reform communities, Local Commissioners often set school attendance goals or expectations for clients to attend service providers as a way of providing opportunities for clients to have CIM orders reduced or revoked if they are able to demonstrate the behaviour change expected by Commissioners.	

Table 7: Conditional income management orders by community and quarter 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016.
Community	
Qtr 29	
Qtr 30	
Qtr 31	
Qtr 32	

Aurukun	
47	
24	
31	
35	

Coen	
2	
1	
1	
2	

Doomadgee	
0	
0	
0	
28	

Hope Vale	
9	
18	
4	
17	

Mossman Gorge	
8	
10	
6	
6	

TOTAL	
66	
53	
42	
88	

The Commission processed 20 VIM agreements during this reporting period. VIM provides a practical option for all welfare reform community members to help manage their finances. As an example, some elderly community members who found themselves vulnerable to family pressures and requests for money have recently signed up to a BasicsCard through VIM.
Case management
As at 30 June 2016, 159 clients were being case-managed through active case plans pertaining to 195 referrals as follows:
	62	percent of clients on a case plan were not subject to a CIM order
	38	percent of clients on a case plan were subject to a CIM order.
For 2015-16 there were 202 clients placed on a CIM. Out of the 202 clients:
	6	percent of those clients who were placed on a CIM order in 2015-16 were already on a case plan from a prior year
	38	percent of those clients who were placed on a CIM order in 2015-16 were placed on a case plan during 2015-16
	55	percent of those clients who were placed on a CIM order in 2015-16 were not placed on a case plan during 2015-16.
The Commission continues to monitor case management statistics, primarily through monthly progress reports provided by community support services.
A range of strategies aimed at increasing the engagement of Commission clients referred to community support services have been introduced this year. Along with 	proposed improvements to the reporting framework, the Commission is working with service providers to establish a shared expectation of professional and contextually relevant engagement strategies.
The Commission has entered into a partnership with GYFS to provide advice on clinical client service delivery to Commission clients, provide training to service provider staff on engagement strategies, and provide an evaluation of the success of the partnership projects. The Commission and GYFS are working closely with the CYP Strong Families Parenting Program as GYFS provide professional supervision and assistance with program and clinical documentation development.
It is noted that a reasonably high proportion of those clients placed on CIM orders during the reporting period were not also placed on a case plan. There are many reasons Commissioners may decide not to issue a case plan along with a CIM order. For example, the Commissioners may elect to develop a plan with families in their own home, may set school attendance goals which are reviewed at conference, or may have identified that the client is unable or unlikely to engage with community support services. The Commission reviews those clients who are subject to a CIM order and not concurrently on a case plan to determine whether further opportunities may be provided to those clients to receive support to change behaviour and have CIM orders reduced or revoked.
Show cause notices
The number of show cause hearings has continued to decrease this reporting period, and the use of show cause hearings as a conference tool has declined over the last few years for several reasons.
The show cause process is designed to require a client to attend before the Commission and explain their non-compliance with a case plan. A CIM order may be considered where a satisfactory explanation is not given.
The efficacy of the show cause process is dependent on reliable reports from service providers, comprehensive information sharing between the Commission, service providers and agencies, and clients being able to realistically access services to meet the requirements of their orders. These factors have not been consistently present. In addition, some clients of the Commission are unwilling to attend services despite being subject to CIM orders at 90 percent over a long period of time. Accordingly, Commissioners have preferred to review client progress by scheduling future conference dates and discussing expectations with clients in conference.	

From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, five show cause hearings were held. These matters resulted in:
	1	client’s CIM order and case plan revoked
	1	client’s CIM order revoked, placed on a new CIM order of 75% for 12 months and a case plan
	2	clients given a warning
	1	no further action.
Table 8: Show cause notices by community and quarter
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
Community	
Qtr 29	
Qtr 30	
Qtr 31	
Qtr 32	

Aurukun	
5	
0	
0	
0	

Coen	
0	
0	
0	
0	

Doomadgee	
0	
0	
0	
0	

Hope Vale	
0	
0	
0	
0	

Mossman Gorge	
0	
0	
0	
0	

TOTAL	
5	
0	
0	
0	

Amend or end applications
The FRC Act invites clients to apply to amend or end a Commission order or agreement. The Commissioners continue to consider a number of options when determining the outcome of applications, including varying a case plan, amending the income management percentage or ending the order or agreement. The Commission views applications to amend or end agreements or orders as an indicator of client confidence in the Commission’s ability to provide a fair, just and equitable process. Forty percent of the applications received this year resulted in a revocation of the income management order or agreement.
Applications to amend or end voluntary income management are also heard in the conference setting, unless the client indicates to the Commission that the request requires urgent attention. If so, the application may be heard by the Commissioner and the Local Commissioners and a decision made outside of a scheduled conference date.
Commissioners continue to use applications to amend or end income management as a way of encouraging engagement with support services, improve school attendance, and to incentivise overall behaviour change.	From 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 a total of 63 applications to amend or end an FRA or order were received. The applications resulted in:
	25	income management agreements and orders revoked
	3	CIM order percentages reduced from 90 to 75 percent for the remainder of the original income management order
	1	CIM order percentage reduced from 75 to 60 percent for the remainder of the original income management order and client placed on a new case plan
	25	applications dismissed
	2	applications dismissed and clients CIM’d at 90 percent for the remainder of the original income management order
	1	application dismissed and client given a warning
	2	applications rescheduled for the 2016-2017 financial year
	4	applications received at the end of the financial year - decisions pending.
Table 9: Applications to amend or end FRA or order by community and quarter 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
Community	
Qtr 29	
Qtr 30	
Qtr 31	
Qtr 32	

Aurukun	
5	
5	
7	
8	

Coen	
0	
0	
1	
0	

Doomadgee	
0	
0	
0	
0	

Hope Vale	
5	
6	
7	
7	

Mossman Gorge	
3	
2	
5	
2	

TOTAL	
13	
13	
20	
17	

Financial summary
This financial overview is a summary of the financial performance and position of the Commission.
The Commission’s financial reporting framework
A comprehensive set of 2015-16 financial statements covering all aspects of the Commission’s activities commences on page 75. These statements include explanatory notes and comparative figures for 2014-15.
Internal audits are performed by the Accountant to ensure efficiency and economy of systems and to identify financial, operational and business continuity risks. Audit results are duly reported to the Commissioner and Registrar to determine whether any remedial actions are required and to establish compliance with statutory requirements and best practice.
Operating result
The operating result for 2015-16 was a surplus of $0.274 million.
Summarised statement of comprehensive income
Summary statement	
30 Jun 2016	
30 Jun 2015

	
$,000	
$,000	

Income	
4,108	
4,228	

Less: expenses	
3,834	
3,827	

Operating result for financial year – surplus/(deficit)	
274	
401	

Adjusted operating result for 2015-16
Explanation	
30 Jun 2016
$,000	

Operating result for financial year – surplus/(deficit)	
274	

Less adjustments – note 19 (5) of financial statements	
(73)	

Adjusted operating result for financial year – surplus/(deficit)	
201	

	Income
Income by type	
30 Jun 2016	
30 Jun 2015 	

$,000	
$,000	

Queensland State Government funding	
1,600	
1,600	

Australian Government funding	
1,800	
1,800	

Doomadgee funding	
626	
554	

Other reimbursement (Local Commissioners super prior years)	
-	
165	

Other revenue – note 3 of financial statements	
82	
109	

Total	
4,108	
4,228	

Expenses
Expenses by type	
30 Jun 2016	
30 Jun 2015 	

$,000	
$,000	

Employee expenses	
2,802	
2,713	

Supplies and services	
972	
1,036	

Amortisation	
18	
-	

Other expenses	
42	
78	

Total	
3,834	
3,827	

The Commission’s employee expenses increased marginally in 2015-16. Increases were due to a combination of factors including wage rises and special payments in accordance with the newly certified core agreement, new remuneration guidelines, increments and utilisation of the Deputy Commissioner for the entire financial year of 2015-16. These increases were partly compensated by reduced costs due to cancellations in scheduled conferencing in some communities and short term vacancies in certain positions.
Supplies and services expenditure decreased in 2015-16 mainly due to operational savings related to staff travel and a significant reduction in the purchase of assets being written off as an expense (pursuant to the $5,000 capitalisation threshold).	

New costs for amortisation are related to an upgrade of the Commission’s customer relationship management software which occurred during 2015-16. Other expenses reduced in the absence of one off outlays as compared to 2014-15. Refer to note 19 of 2015-16 financial statements for the budget versus actual comparison.
Table 10: Expenses by category and percentage of total expenditure 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
Category	
Percentage	

Employee salaries	
59.7%	

Employee on costs	
11.5%	

Other employment costs	
1.9%	

Communications	
0.6%	

Internet & IT	
5.7%	

Motor vehicle	
1.8%	

Property	
5.4%	

Travel	
6.9%	

General operating	
4.9%	

Other expenses	
1.6%	

Total	
100.0%	

Remote location and Cairns registry expenditure
Table 11: Operating costs by remote location
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
Community	
Qtr 1	
Qtr 2	
Qtr 3	
Qtr 4	

Aurukun	
135K	
96K	
115K	
167K	

Coen	
31K	
24K	
41K	
58K	

Doomadgee	
132K	
144K	
141K	
185K	

Hope Vale	
72K	
82K	
84K	
120K	

Mossman Gorge	
47K	
44K	
47K	
55K	

TOTAL	
417K	
390K	
428K	
585K	

Table 12: Quarterly operating costs, Cairns Registry
1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016
	
Qtr 1	
Qtr 2	
Qtr 3	
Qtr 4	

Corporate Services	
206K	
202K	
221K	
229K	

Operations	
242K	
250K	
272K	
248K	

Gove/Board Reporting	
36K	
37K	
33K	
35K	

Other Expenditure	
0K	
0K	
0K	
1K	

TOTAL	
484K	
489K	
526K	
513K	

	Statement of financial position
Total assets at 30 June 2016 consisted of current assets of cash, prepayments and receivables in addition to non-current intangible assets.
Total liabilities as at 30 June 2016 consisted of payables and accrued employee benefits.
Statement of financial position	
30 Jun 2016	
30 Jun 2015 	

$,000	
$,000	

Current assets	
1,423	
1,148	

Non-current assets	
65	
-	

Total assets	
1,488	
1,148	

Current liabilities	
335	
269	

Total liabilities	
335	
269	

Net assets	
1,153	
879	

Total equity	
1,153	
879	

Cash flow statement
The cash flow statement shows the nature and amount of the Commission’s cash inflows and outflows from all activities.
Cash flow statement	
30 Jun 2016	
30 Jun 2015 	

$,000	
$,000	

Operating activities	
273	
104	

Investing activities	
(83)	
-	

Net increase/(decrease) in cash held	
190	
104	

Cash at beginning of financial year	
1,085	
981	

Cash at end of financial year	
1,275	
1,085