The New South Wales Government has announced a suite of reforms of the State’s public sector and middle management in a bid to ‘better focus government resources on the frontline’.

“These reforms will create a more professional public service, operating along bestpractice private and government sector lines, that is better able to meet the needs of families across NSW,” Premier Barry O’Farrell said.

The NSW Public Service Commissioner has recommended significant reforms that build on the recommendations of the report of the Commission of Audit.

Cabinet has accepted the recommendations for reform including:ï‚·

  • rationalising the executive structure, reducing multiple layers of management;
  • tightening up procedures to quickly and fairly deal with poor executive
  • erformance; and,
  • streamlining legislation covering government executives in different agencies into a single act, while enabling organisations like the NSW Police Force, the Teaching Service and Local Health Districts to have independent arrangements aligned with the new reforms

The reforms will see the formation of a single executive employment scheme, with award and contract-based executives shifting to ongoing contracts with built in merit recruitment and performance provisions.

“The reforms will dramatically reduce executive management layers, improve executive accountability and help with better service delivery across the State,” Mr O’Farrell said.