Departure Prohibition Order issued to father with child support debt

ALMOST 2800 parents who have failed or refused to pay sizeable child support debts have been barred from leaving the country.

Departure Prohibition Orders are only issued when all other attempts to negotiate a suitable payment arrangement have been exhausted, a Department of Human Services spokeswoman said. Picture: Ryan Pierse

ALMOST 2800 parents who have failed or refused to pay sizeable child support debts have been barred from leaving the country.

The Child Support Registrar issued 1761 Departure Prohibition Orders against parents who owed child support from July 2015 to December 2016, collecting almost $13 million as a result.

Departure Prohibition Orders are only issued when all other attempts to negotiate a suitable payment arrangement have been exhausted, a Department of Human Services spokeswoman said.

A DPO is revoked if the debt is wholly paid, satisfactory arrangements are made regarding the debt or the debt is totally irrecoverable. There were 2795 DPOs in place at February 6. The total amount of child support outstanding by the end of last year was $1.53 billion.

An unemployed Queensland dad, who owes almost $129,000 in unpaid child support and non-payment penalties, has been barred from going overseas to look for gold mining industry work.

Andrew Todd has not paid child support for his children from a previous relationship since January, 2009, when he paid only $151, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal heard.

Mr Todd has been under a DPO issued by the Child Support Registrar since 2011, but wanted to go to Papua New Guinea early this year to source employment contracts.

His $128,929 debt includes unpaid child support and $30,876 in unpaid penalties for not paying.

Tribunal member Dominique Grigg said Mr Todd told the tribunal he had chosen not to work once the DPO was made, “because he thought, in essence, why should he’’.

“He knew that any income he earned would need to be applied to reducing the child support debt he owed,’’ Ms Grigg said. She said later in the hearing of his appeal, after he was refused a Departure Authorisation Certificate, Mr Todd said he had chosen not to work in order to be a fulltime carer of his stepdaughter.

Mr Todd told the tribunal his work skills were moving dirt in dangerous places “without getting killed’’, but Ms Grigg said he had no evidence to corroborate his work claims.

Mr Todd had offered to provide $20,000 security, but department officers told him he needed to provide the equivalent to his total child support arrears and enter into a satisfactory payment arrangement.

Ms Grigg dismissed his appeal, saying it would be inappropriate for Mr Todd, who had made no offer to pay child support, to leave the country.

Originally published as Departure Prohibition Order issued to father with child support debt