EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1985 NO. 34
PUBLIC SERVICE REGULATIONS (AMENDMENT)
Issued with the authority of the Public Service Board
Sub-section 97(1) of the Public Service Act 1922 (the Act) provides, inter alia, that the Public Service Board, (the Board) may, with the approval of the Governor-General, make regulations prescribing all matters which are required or permitted to be prescribed, for carrying out or giving effect to the Act.
Section 71 provides that the Chief Officer may grant to all officer leave of absence for a prescribed purpose and also provides that the regulations may specify the period of leave and terms and conditions subject to which it may be granted.
Regulations 50 to 50D of the Public Service Regulations provide for the lapsing of recreation leave credits that have not been used within 2 years and 3 months of accrual. Thus for example, an officer who accrued the normal 4 week recreation credit on 1 January 1983 is deemed to be on leave from 1 April 1985 for the duration of his or her outstanding 1983 recreation leave credit. If the officer does not absent himself/herself from duty during the period from 1 April deemed to be leave, the 1983 leave credit is forfeited.
In recognition of the difficulties sometimes experienced by senior officers in taking leave, it was desired to introduce a type of special leave for private purposes for Secretaries, Senior Executive Service officers and former Second Division officers which will be available if the officer concerned does not absent himself/herself from duty during a period when deemed to be on recreation leave by regulations 50 to 50D (inclusive).
Regulation 1 of the statutory rules provided for the commencement of the regulations on 1 April 1985.
Regulation 2 of statutory rules inserted a new regulations 53A into the regulations enabling the Chief Officer to grant special leave of absence for private purposes.
The maximum amount of leave that can be granted by the Chief Officer under regulation 53A is limited to an amount equal to the periods during which the officer was deemed to be on recreation leave by virtue of regulations 50 to 50D and during which the officer was not absent from duty.