(1) Subject to this section, upon application made in writing to the Attorney - General by a Commonwealth prisoner serving a federal, Territory or State sentence of imprisonment in a prison of a State or Territory, the Attorney - General may, in his or her discretion, make an order in writing for the transfer of the prisoner from that State or Territory to another State or Territory.
(2) An application made by a Commonwealth prisoner under subsection ( 1) shall set out such matters with respect to the welfare of the prisoner as the prisoner considers relevant.
(3) In exercising his or her powers under subsection ( 1) to make an order for the transfer of a prisoner, the Attorney - General shall have regard to all matters that he or she considers relevant, including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing:
(a) the administration of justice; and
(b) the welfare of the prisoner.
(4) The Attorney - General shall not make an order under subsection ( 1) for the transfer of a prisoner to a State unless the appropriate Minister of that State has consented in writing to the transfer.
(5) The Attorney - General is not required to consider an application made by a prisoner under subsection ( 1) for transfer from a State or Territory to another State or Territory if the prisoner has previously made application under that subsection for transfer to that other State or Territory within the period of one year immediately preceding the making of the first - mentioned application.