EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1982 NO. 305
ISSUED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
AMENDMENT OF THE DEFENCE FORCE (SALARIES) REGULATIONS
Section 12 of the Defence Amendment Act 1979 allows the Minister to make interim determinations amending or repealing regulations. The Act deems such interim determinations to be Statutory Rules.
The Defence Force (Salaries) Regulations prescribe rates of salary for members of the Defence Force rendering continuous full time service.
These Statutory Rules amend the Defence Force (Salaries) Regulations to -
(a) change the rates of salaries payable to members undergoing training and to maintain a rate of salary for such a member who would otherwise suffer a reduction;
(b) increase the rates of salaries payable to Chaplains and to provide for the counting of service for incremental purposes, for a member appointed a Principal Chaplain;
(c) align the salary payable to a medical or dental officer of the rank of Brigadier or equivalent with that payable to a Medical Superintendant, Grade 5 in the Australian Public Service; and
(d) increase the rates of salaries payable to medical and dental officers.
The amendments at (a) to (c) above implement recommendations of the Committee of Reference for Defence Force Pay in its report dated 12 August 1982. The Committee’s recommendations were approved by the Minister on 28 October 1982. The amendment at (d) above is a flow-on from corresponding increases recently granted to medical officers of the Australian Public Service.
The opportunity has also been taken to omit superseded regulations 8A, 8B and 8C and to omit from Schedule 7 a superseded entry relating to an Artificer in the Navy.
The date of effect of the increase in salaries for medical and dental officers is 15 July 1982. To the extent that a change in salary referred to in (a) above is a reduction it shall apply only to members who enlist on or after 4 November 1982. The date of effect of the remaining amendments is 12 August 1982.