Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

Ongoing professional development

This is the official site of the Australian Marriage Celebrants Program. Anything you read elsewhere that is inconsistent with this site is not accurate.

Registration year 1 September 2007 - 31 August 2008

Note: This information applies only to marriage celebrants registered by the Commonwealth.

About your ongoing professional development obligations for 2007-2008 

There have been some changes to arrangements for delivering Ongoing Professional Development (OPD) for this registration year.  Please read the information below carefully.

These changes have been designed to improve the quality of the compulsory OPD that you undertake and to ensure that you have the best opportunity to gain the most from it.

There are many things that have not changed – these are:

  • you still need to do a minimum of five (5) hours of OPD this year
  • you need to finish your five hours by 31 August 2008
  • there is a compulsory activity this year – it is longer than in previous years
  • you need to return your Annual Return by 31 October 2008, and
  • you are not able to do an activity you have already done in the previous five years.

These are the things that have changed:

  • there is once again only one (1) compulsory activity
  • the compulsory activity is three (3) hours in length
  • you will only be able to complete the compulsory activity in the ways set out in the information. You need to choose one of the providers listed there. Please read the information on how to do the compulsory activity carefully
  • this means that you need to complete at least one more activity (or more than one activity) totalling two (2) hours, to complete your OPD obligations for the year
  • we have not mailed the list of approved activities to you this year – please see the information about other approved activities.
  • all your OPD, including the compulsory activity, needs to be completed by 31 August 2008
  • there will be a questionnaire option available to complete the compulsory activity, but this will not be available until 19 May 2008, and
  • there will be a charge for the compulsory activity this year.