As Victorian voters prepare to line up at the polls, and public servants wait to see what new ministers and overhauls they will have to undertake, the Government in New South Wales is setting the scene for its election next march.

NSW Premier Mike Baird has laid out his plans for the upcoming caretaker period in a Ministerial Memorandum.

The caretaker period begins when the Legislative Assembly is dissolved on Friday, 6 March 2015.

"As a general rule, no significant new decisions or initiatives, appointments, or contractual undertakings should be made during the caretaker period," Premier, Mike Baird said.

"Routine government business, however, should proceed as usual," Mr Baird said.

"In addition to the formal caretaker conventions, which only apply in the caretaker period, there are other established practices that apply in the months leading up to an election.''

The rules for caretaker time are outlined in this handy 18-page guide (PDF).

"The convention is that, wherever possible, the Government avoids making significant appointments during the caretaker period," the guide states.

"When considering whether an appointment qualifies as 'significant', consideration should be given to such matters as the seniority, importance and profile of the position, the duration of the appointment, the manner in which the appointment is to be made (for example, whether the appointment is made by the Minister or the Governor), and also whether the proposed appointment is likely to be controversial," it reads.

"In circumstances where an appointment must be made, consideration should be given to making an acting appointment or a short-term appointment that would expire (and could be renewed with an extended term) shortly after the end of the caretaker period."

The caretaker period starts on March 6 2015, and runs until either the current Government is returned or the new Premier is commissioned to form a changed Government.

“It would be prudent to assume that all pre-election practices should generally be observed in the months leading up to the election, after the last sitting day of the Legislative Assembly before the election,” the guide said.