Appendices<strong>Court</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>ile53
Operating Statement and Financial CommentaryThe Operating Statement and Financial Commentary summarises the revenue (in the form <strong>of</strong> fines and fees collected) and operational expenditure <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Court</strong> forthe year ended 30 June 2005, including comparisons with 2003–04. <strong>Victoria</strong>n Government Departments are required to produce their annual reports in accordancewith Standing Direction 4, Financial Management Reporting <strong>of</strong> the Financial Management Act 1994. Information from entities <strong>of</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> Justice, such asthe <strong>Court</strong>, is consolidated into the Department <strong>of</strong> Justice Annual Report.Operating Statement for the Year Ended 30 June 20052004–05 2003–04$ $Collection <strong>of</strong> Fines and Fees<strong>Court</strong> Fines 442,842 393,138<strong>Court</strong> Fees 5,816,044 6,572,737Total Revenue 6,258,886 6,965,875Operational ExpenditureJudicial Salaries and On-costs 14,947,901 13,990,217Output Expenditure, comprising:• Staff Salaries and On-costs 9,962,788 9,077,194• Operating Costs 3,178,418 3,872,081Capital Purchases 86,495 101,575Total Operational Expenditure 28,175,602 27,041,067Operational Expenditure—2003–04 to 2004–05$0001500013500120001050090007500600045003000150002003–042004–05Judicial Salaries and On-costsStaff Salaries and On-costsOperating Costs Capital PurchasesCollection <strong>of</strong> Fines and Fees(Consolidated Funds)—2003–04 to 2004–05$0001000090008000700060005000400030002000100002003–04<strong>Court</strong> Fines2004–05<strong>Court</strong> FeesFinancial CommentarySpecial AppropriationsThe salaries and on-costs for Judgeswere impacted by the retirement <strong>of</strong>four long-serving Judges. One Judgewas appointed to the Supreme <strong>Court</strong>.The <strong>Court</strong> appointed three replacementJudges during the financial year.The Judicial Remuneration Tribunal(JRT) recommendation for a salaryincrease for Judges was implementedduring 2004–05.Output AppropriationsThe impact <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Victoria</strong>n PublicService Agreement 2004 provided fora general salary increase.Efficiencies in operating expenditurewere <strong>of</strong>fset by salary and associatedexpenses <strong>of</strong> judicial staff supportingsitting Reserve and Acting Judges.<strong>Court</strong> Fee CollectionsDuring 2003–04, an increase in<strong>Court</strong> Fee collections occurred as aresult <strong>of</strong> the Wrongs and Other Acts(Public Liability Insurance Reform)Act 2002 No. 49/2002. The cut-<strong>of</strong>fdate was September 2003 and, as aconsequence, there was a largeincrease in the number <strong>of</strong> writsissued by practitioners to have proceedingsissued prior to that date.The fees collected in 2004–05reflected the decrease in initiations inthe civil jurisdiction, i.e. 5,298 casescompared with 8,769 in 2003–04, adecrease <strong>of</strong> 39.6%, compared withthe previous financial year.54 <strong>County</strong> <strong>Court</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Victoria</strong> 2004–05 Annual Report