Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (9 August) . . Page.. 2924 ..

Sixty-seven percent of these bonuses are available to professional staff, primarily in the health services area, including nurses, dentists and specialist staff in ACT Community Care and The Canberra Hospital. Fifty-seven of these bonuses are identical to those provided to staff under a Certified Agreement.

(5) Other benefits above base salary provided in particular AWAs include one or more of the following:

enhanced increment points to reward high performance or skill levels;

access to flexible salary packaging arrangements;

additional leave;

access to vehicles or vehicle allowances and home garaging arrangements;

additional pay increases;

relocation cost reimbursements;

work related telephone charges; and

one AWA includes some elements of the remuneration package provided at the Executive 1.1 Level, including a car. The salary component is in line with remuneration available under the AW A framework. This AWA is for the period of a specific task.

(6) The total cost of these benefits is difficult to calculate given that in some instances staff have a choice to utilise a particular benefit or not, as in the case of additional leave. Some benefits are provided at no cost to the employer, such as salary packaging. Setting aside benefits such as these, the estimated cost is $419,409. A-ain, this cost is for the duration of the AWAs - up to 3 years.

Approximately $89,000 of this cost relates to eight response vehicles at the Emergency Services Bureau. The vehicles are referred to in a number of AWAs to allow limited private use to staff in exchange for contributions towards the vehicles' running costs. This arrangement not only benefits staff, but also significantly reduces the response time to emergencies. Had the AWAs not existed, the cost of the vehicles would still be borne by the Department.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .