During this reporting year, from 1 January 2019, the ACT Public Service commenced celebrating 25 years of providing programs and services for Canberrans.
From self-government in 1989 to 1994, the ACT did not have its own public service and was served by the Commonwealth Public Service. On 1 July 1994, the Public Sector Management Act 1994 commenced, and the ACT Public Service (ACTPS) was established.
The ACTPS has come a long way over the last 25 years. Guided by the ACTPS Values of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration and Innovation, the ACTPS is a leading-edge public service that embraces change and actively seeks out new and better ways of doing things.
As a small public service that covers both local and state responsibilities, the ACTPS is in a unique position to work together as one service, making it easier for Canberrans to access programs and services. The ACTPS has diverse responsibilities ranging from buses, fire and ambulance services, health, education and justice systems, to supporting the most vulnerable people in our community.
This unique combination has allowed the ACTPS to reimagine how best to structure its service, allowing seamless integration without the restrictions of traditional boundaries of state and municipal services.
1.1 Changes to the workforce throughout the years
The ACTPS is an inclusive and diverse public service. Approximately 65.4 per cent of the ACTPS are female. More than half (52.5 per cent) of our senior executives are women, including two thirds of our Directors-General. Over the 25 years, the number of employees who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander grew from 30 to 423, and now represents 1.8 per cent of the ACTPS workforce. The numbers of workforce who identify with disability increased from 565 to 622 in 2018–19, representing 2.7 per cent of the ACTPS workforce.