Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:

(1) The Department is reducing staff numbers in the current financial year as a result of changes in departmental budget. The reductions are occurring across the Department as a result of either a reduction, reprioritisation or consolidation of functions, transfer of functions to another area or cessation of discretionary functions and subsequent restructuring. The categories of employees that are affected by the reduction process are within the APS2 to SES levels. There have been nil reductions in other Portfolio agencies.

(2) The planned reduction in the Department is in the order of 200 staff. This is being achieved through a range of means including natural attrition, reviewing non-ongoing and contract arrangements and redeployment of employees to priority areas. Voluntary redundancies are being offered only after other options have been exhausted. There are no planned reductions in other Portfolio agencies.

(3) The Department will be maintaining a significant graduate presence despite budgetary constraints, by recruiting 50 graduates in 2012. One cadetship, 16 Indigenous traineeships and four traineeships for People with Intellectual Disability will also be offered. There are no planned changes for graduate recruitment, cadetships or similar programs in other Portfolio agencies.