Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:C2004A05014:section:6:p15
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:C2004A05014
Segment Type: section
Provision Reference: s 6 (pt 15/86)
Character Range: 92963–95592

Court or an appropriate officer of the Family Court of the State, as the case may be, must arrange for parties to the proceedings (with or without the child) to be interviewed by a family and child counsellor or welfare officer to assess whether counselling is appropriate in all the circumstances, and if it is:

(a) to discuss the care, welfare and development of the child; and

   (b) if there are differences between the parties in relation to matters affecting the care, welfare and development of the child, to try to resolve those differences.

Request for counselling—where made direct to a family and child counsellor

"62D. A person may at any time request a family and child counsellor to provide counselling about a matter relating to a child.

Court counselling facilities to be made available

"62E.(1) A parent of a child, a child or a party to proceedings under this Part may seek the assistance of the counselling facilities of the Family Court or a Family Court of a State.

"(2) The Principal Director of Court Counselling of the Family Court or an appropriate officer of the Family Court of the State, as the case may be, must, as far as practicable, make those facilities available.

Conferences with family and child counsellors or welfare officers

"62F.(1) This section applies if, in proceedings under this Act, the care, welfare and development of a child who is under 18 is relevant.

"(2) The court may, at any stage of the proceedings, make an order directing the parties to the proceedings to attend a conference with a family and child counsellor or welfare officer:

(a) to discuss the care, welfare and development of the child; and

   (b) if there are differences between the parties in relation to matters affecting the care, welfare and development of the child—to try to resolve those differences.

"(3) The court may make an order under subsection (2):

(a) on its own initiative; or

(b) on the application of:

       (i) a party to the proceedings; or

       (ii) a person representing the child under an order made under section 68L.

"(4) The court may, in an order under subsection (2):

(a) fix a place and time for the conference to take place; or

   (b) direct that the conference is to take place at a place and time to be fixed by a family and child counsellor or welfare officer.

"(5) If a person fails to attend a conference in respect of which the court has made an order under subsection (2), the counsellor or welfare officer must report the failure to the court.

"(6) On receiving a report under subsection (5), the court may give such further directions in relation