STATUTORY RULES.
1949. No. .
REGULATIONS UNDER THE COMMONWEALTH PUBLIC
SERVICE ACT 1922-1948.*
THE Public Service Board appointed under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1948, in pursuance and exercise of the authority conferred upon it by the said Act, and subject to the approval of the Governor-General, hereby makes the following Regulations.
Dated this twenty-fourth
day of October , 1949.
J. T. PINNER,
Acting Chairman.
G. G. SUTCLIFFE,
Commissioner.
I, the Governor-General in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby approve the following Regulations.
Dated this twenty-seventh
day of October , 1949.
W.J. McKell
Governor-General.
By His Excellency's Command,
Prime Minister.
Amendments of the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations.†
Rates of Travelling Allowances.
1. Regulation 75a of the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations is amended by omitting from the table to sub-regulation (1.) all the figures and words from and including the figures and words " £381 and under " to the end of the table arid inserting in their stead the following figures and words :—
" £381 and under | 20 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 65 | 0 | 17 | 6 | 75 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
£382 to £854 ... | 22 | 0 | 110 | 0 | 70 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 55 | 0 |
£855 to £1,218 | 27 | 6 | 120 | 0 | 80 | 0 | 22 | 6 | 95 | 0 | 85 | 0 |
£1,219 and over | 32 | 6 | 135 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 27 | 6 | 110 | 0 | 75 | 0 ". |
* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on , 1949.
† Statutory Rules 1935, No. 18, as amended to date. For previous Commonwealth Public Service Regulations see footnote † to Statutory Rules 1949, No. 1, and see also Statutory Rules 1949, No.
4151.—Price 3d. 10/30.9.1949.
Allowances to officers performing relieving duties or working within defined districts.
2. Regulation 76 of the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations is amended by omitting the table contained in sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following table:—
Whore Maximum Salary of Position is— | Where the period of continuous residence at a temporary station is--- |
Less than three weeks. | Three weeks or more. |
Married Officer. | Unmarried Officer. |
First week. | After first week. |
| Per Day. | Per Week. | Per Week. | Per Week. |
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. |
£381 and under........... | 17 | 6 | 75 | 0 | 75 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
Over £381 ............. | 20 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 85 | 0 | 55 | 0 , |
3. Regulation. 81 of the Commonwealth Public Service Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted, in its stead :—
Increased or decreased travelling allowance.
" 81. Where proof is furnished to the satisfaction of the Board that the travelling allowance payable to an officer under those Regulations is cither insufficient to cover, or in excess of, expenses which have been, or may be, reasonably incurred, the Board may direct the payment, in lieu of that travelling allowance, of such rate of travelling allowance as is necessary to meet those expenses.".
4. Regulations 1 and 2 of these Regulations shall be deemed to have come into operation, on the fourteenth day of July, 1949.
By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.
Overview
The Statutory Rules 1949 No. 1269, titled "Regulations under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1948," were introduced to address specific administrative and procedural gaps within the Commonwealth Public Service, particularly concerning allowances and compensation for public service officers. Enacted by the Public Service Board and approved by the Governor-General in accordance with the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1948, these regulations aimed to provide a more equitable and updated framework for allowances such as travelling allowances and allowances for officers performing relieving duties or working within defined districts. This legislative instrument sought to streamline and modernise the compensation structure for public service officers by amending and repealing certain provisions of the existing Commonwealth Public Service Regulations.
Scope and Application
The Commonwealth Public Service Regulations, as amended by Statutory Rules 1949, No. 1269, apply to all officers within the Commonwealth Public Service as defined under the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1948. These regulations govern various allowances and entitlements for officers, including rates of travelling allowances, allowances for officers performing relieving duties or working within defined districts, and adjustments to travelling allowances based on actual expenses. The regulations set out specific rates and conditions applicable to different salary brackets and periods of residence at temporary stations, ensuring that officers receive appropriate financial support in line with their duties and locations. The amendments to these regulations were approved by the Governor-General in Council, reflecting the legislative intent to refine and update the entitlements framework to better accommodate the needs of public service officers. While the regulations primarily govern the financial aspects of public service officers, they do not explicitly state any exclusions or thresholds beyond those specified within the regulations themselves.
Key Provisions
The principal changes introduced by these Regulations pertain to adjustments in travel allowances for Commonwealth public service officers, as outlined in section 1. The table in Regulation 75a is updated to reflect new figures and words, replacing the previous entries from "£381 and under" to the end of the table. This new table provides specific rates for travel allowances based on the maximum salary of the position, ranging from £381 and under to £1,219 and over. Section 2 modifies Regulation 76, replacing the existing table with a new one that details allowances for officers performing relieving duties or working within defined districts, taking into account factors such as the maximum salary of the position and the duration of residence at a temporary station.
These Regulations impose certain obligations on public service officers and the Public Service Board. Officers must ensure they comply with the new rates of travel allowances as specified in the updated tables. The Public Service Board, on the other hand, is responsible for verifying and approving any claims for travel allowances that deviate from the prescribed rates, as stipulated in section 3. This includes assessing whether the travelling allowance is either insufficient or excessive based on the actual expenses incurred by the officer.
Failure to adhere to the provisions of these Regulations may result in various consequences. Section 3 introduces a mechanism for the Public Service Board to adjust travel allowances if proof is provided that the current allowance does not cover or exceeds the reasonably incurred expenses. However, specific offences, penalties, or consequences for non-compliance are not detailed in the text. The Regulations do not explicitly mention maximum penalties for breaches, suggesting that any legal ramifications would be determined by the broader context of the Commonwealth Public Service Act 1922-1948 and any subsequent amendments or interpretations by the courts.