Canberra, 10 March 1967
Papua and New Guinea—recommendations of the Police Advisory Committee
The Police Advisory Committee was appointed in December 1965 and presented its report to the Administrator in March 1966. All but a few of the recommendations have been accepted and in June 1966 you directed that they should be implemented without delay.1 This submission is to inform you of progress so far.
Pay and conditions
2. A total fortnightly cash wage replaced the old system of monthly wages and rations on 1st July 1966. The new wage scale is the same as that for Pacific Islands Regiment members except that some P.I.R. members still receive a small ration issue. This anomaly is being reviewed at present.2
3. New salary ranges for overseas officers holding commissioned rank have been approved but there is a dispute over the date of effect and the method of adjustment from the old incremental structure to the new. The dispute has been referred to the Administrator who must appoint an arbitrator under the Industrial Relations Ordinance.
4. Plain clothes and station-in-charge allowances have been approved and will be paid when the rates and determinations are finalised. Location allowances are being paid and will be reviewed along with public service location allowances shortly.
5. Local members of the Constabulary may be included in a proposed new superannuation scheme for Papuan and New Guinean public servants. The difficulties are the different retiring ages for public servants and Constabulary, and what to do with the existing Constabulary pension scheme. The difficulties are being investigated at present.
6. Overseas contract officers of the Constabulary are included in the provision of the Retirement Benefits (Contract Officers) Ordinance which has been submitted for Assent.
7. Members of the Constabulary are included in the provisions of the Compensation Bill which will be introduced into the House of Assembly during the February sittings.
Recruitment and organisation
8. Many of the recommendations require more police and civilian staff. (Establishment of Central Traffic and Firearms registries, creation of new police districts and rural stations, creation of new specialist sections, improved training). You have approved the creation of 81 commissioned rank positions and 134 civilian positions, and the reclassification of 11 civilian positions.
9. This year’s recruitment programme included 30 sub-inspectors. Five have been engaged and a further four will be engaged if the usual recruitment checks are completed satisfactorily. In addition 44 recently interviewed applicants are considered suitable for engagement and their applications have been sent to the Commissioner for approval. It therefore appears certain that over 30 overseas sub-inspectors will be recruited this financial year. Recruitment of other ranks is going on to the limit of training facilities.
10. Recruitment of clerks in Australia has been delayed by the $50,000 cut in the recruitment estimates by the House of Assembly. The Administrator’s Council has recently approved the inclusion in the March supplementary budget of $60,000 for recruitment in Australia. Approval of this item by the House will enable the Administration to recruit (among other categories) 70 clerks for all Territory departments, and some of these will fill new civilian positions in the Police Administration Branch. In the meantime the Commissioner will no doubt arrange for the higher civilian positions to be advertised within the Territory Public Service.
11. It is proposed to put the Police Administration Branch under the administrative control of the Department of Law. The relationship of senior civilians to the Commissioner is still being considered.
Funds
12. The Budget Sub-Committee has estimated the cost of the various recommendations and has drawn up a schedule for the funding of approved recommendations over three years. In general funds are being provided as laid down in the schedule (copy attached).3 Provision will be made in the 1967/68 budget for the implementation of the recommendations to continue as planned.
Accommodation and buildings
13. You directed that great efforts should be made to improve living accommodation. 140 of the estimated 336 new units needed for married local members have been included in the Works Programme for 1966/67 and 1967/68. Specific alterations to existing local members’ accommodation recommended by the Committee have also been included on the Works Programme for the same period. The full amount thought necessary by the Budget Sub-Committee for general improvements to local members’ accommodation ($270,000) has been included on the Works Programme and it [is] expected that $235,000 of this will be spent this financial year.
14. All houses occupied by police officers have been declared Departmental (i.e. may be allocated by the Commissioner) Single officers’ quarters for Lae have been approved and included in the Works Programme for 1966/67.
15. Five new rural police stations and two suburban stations in Port Moresby have been included on the Works Programme for 1966/67 and 1967/68. One station (Kundiawa) has been listed for improvement at a cost of $20,000.
[ matter omitted ]4
24. The implementation of the major approved recommendations appears to be proceeding satisfactorily. Some action depends on the provision of more staff and funds. The position is being kept under review and. you will be further informed on progress later in the year.
25. Submitted for information.5
[N AA: A452, 196611959]
1 See footnote 1, Document 42.
2 See editorial note ‘Industrial unrest: announcements on police and PIR conditions of service’, and Documents 63–5.
3 Not printed.
4 Matter omitted refers, inter alia, to information on new equipment including that ‘$333,000 approximately has been provided for supplying approved furniture issues to public servants and Constabulary’.
5 Barnes initialled the submission on 14 March.