Australian Capital Territory
Public Sector Management Amendment Standards 2007 (No 3)
Disallowable instrument DI2007-92
made under the
Public Sector Management Act 1994, s 251 (Management Standards)

    
    
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Public Sector Management Act 1994 (the Act) regulates the management of the public sector.  Section 251 of the Act empowers the Commissioner for Public Administration, with the written approval of the Chief Minister, to make Public Sector Management Standards (the Standards) for the purposes of the Act.  More specifically, sections 251(6) and (7) of the Act provide that the Chief Minister can give a general approval to the Commissioner for Public Administration to make Standards for specified purposes, subject to conditions where necessary.  

Currently the Chief Minister has given ongoing approval for the specified purpose of amendments that are consistent with a policy direction previously endorsed by Government where the changes of a technical nature, such as changes to the rates of allowances, clarification of existing clauses and correction of typographical errors, provided the amendments do not include any significant policy changes.  There are two minor technical amendments.  These amendments to the Standards are in accordance with parameters agreed to by the Chief Minister under sections 251(6) and (7) of the Act.  

The amendment to section 309 of the Standards updates rates for motor vehicle allowances.  The rates of the motor vehicle allowance are issued by authority of the Commonwealth Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer under the Income Tax Assessment Regulations 1997.  The relevant instrument, the Income Tax Assessment Amendment Regulations 2007 (No.1) (Select Legislative Instrument 2007 No. 44), came into effect on 24 March 2007, with the rate set out in part 2 of Schedule 1.

The amendment to section 347 of the Standards updates the overtime duty meal allowance rate.  The revised rate is calculated using changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food in Canberra.  The CPI for the 2006 December quarter increased 6.7% from the 2005 December quarter.

The revised rates are effective from 19 April 2007.  This date is 12 months since the previous revision.