Page 1769 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 6 June 2006
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Today, the government embarks upon a major reform of the public sector and its structures, a reform that will see fewer of our resources swallowed up by administration.
The public sector reforms in this budget seek to consolidate transactions, bring functions and agencies together, where it is logical that they be situated together, and improve policy advice to ministers.
As I announced in April, we will establish a Shared Services Centre that will bring together human resource management, finance, information technology and communications, procurement and records management.
Economies of scale will flow from better job design and greater specialisation, the adoption of common processes, a reduction in duplication, and the greater operational flexibility that comes with a critical mass.
Importantly, there will be benefits for staff, through greater opportunities for learning, peer support and career progression.
Other measures will deliver additional efficiencies.
Six-cylinder vehicles in the government’s fleet will be progressively replaced with four-cylinder cars, and the overall size of the fleet will be reduced, bringing not just economic but environmental benefits.
Office accommodation of public sector employees will be rationalised as leases expire.
The new Administrative Arrangement Orders coming into effect on 1 July will bring other significant changes.
Given the central importance of economic development, and its interdependence with other whole-of-government policies, the economic strategy and business development functions of the Department of Economic Development will be transferred to the Chief Minister’s Department.
A new Department of Territory and Municipal Services will be established, bringing together a host of territorial services and functions.
Sport and recreation functions will be absorbed into this department, better integrating the management of facilities such as sportsgrounds and pools with the sport programs delivered in those facilities.
Environment ACT will also become a part of the department, integrating all urban and non-urban land management functions in one place and creating greater opportunities to ensure that the land policies we pursue will be sustainable, with a clear sense of our responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Transport functions will be combined in a new Office of Transport within the Department of Territory and Municipal Services. ACTION will be transferred to this office.
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