There are some minimum eligibility requirements for roles in the ACT Public Service which apply to all positions. Additional eligibility criteria may apply to specific roles, and this will be stated in the job ad or position description. The ACT Government application form asks a range of questions about your work history so that minimum eligibility requirements can be assessed.
Citizenship status
To be eligible for temporary employment you must be in Australia on a visa with work rights or be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. To be eligible for permanent employment within the ACT Public Service you must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident.
A New Zealand citizen who resides in Australia and holds a Special Category temporary residence visa (SCV) under the Commonwealth Migration Act 1958 is treated as a permanent resident of Australia for the purpose of assessing that person's eligibility to be employed by the ACTPS but does not affect a person's residency status in relation to any other federal, state or territory law.
Former staff
Former ACTPS staff are restricted from re-entry to the service including if they:
- received a voluntary redundancy and the exclusion period has not yet expired;
- were retired due to forfeiture of office, abandonment of employment, as a result of misconduct or underperformance or annulment of appointment during probation; or
- were an Executive whose engagement was ended under certain circumstances.
Previous voluntary redundancy
If you received a redundancy benefit from an ACT Public Service Directorate you may not be eligible for employment without prior approval from both the ACT Public Service Commissioner of Public Administration and the respective Director-General, unless your redundancy period has expired or you exited as a result of the National Disability Insurance Scheme transition.
Misconduct allegations or investigations
Applicants need to advise on the application form about any current or previous upheld allegations or investigations of misconduct. Under Enterprise Agreements, misconduct includes any of the following:
- the employee fails to meet the obligations set out in section 9 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994;
- the employee engages in conduct that the Head of Service or the Public Sector Standards Commissioner is satisfied may bring, or has brought, the Directorate or the ACT Public Service into disrepute;
- a period of unauthorised absence and the employee does not offer a satisfactory reason on return to work;
- the employee is found guilty of or is convicted of a criminal offence or where a court finds that an employee has committed an offence but a conviction is not recorded, taking into account the circumstances and seriousness of the offence, the duties of the employee and the interests of the ACT Public Service and/or the Directorate;
- the employee fails to notify the Head of Service of criminal charges; or
- the employee makes a vexatious or knowingly false allegation against another employee.
Serious misconduct means conduct that is so serious that it may be inconsistent with the continuation of the employee's employment with the Territory. Serious misconduct is defined within the Fair Work Regulations.
Police records, reportable conduct and criminal history
Applicants will be asked on the application form about any relevant police records, reportable conduct or criminal history. Spent convictions do not need to be disclosed, however successful applicants who are new to the ACT Public Service are required to complete a national criminal history check.
The ACT Reportable Conduct Scheme covers all ACT Government employees both in their professional and private lives. The scheme is an employment-based child protection measure designed to ensure that allegations of abuse and certain criminal convictions are identified, reported and acted on appropriately. Under the scheme, certain organisations that provide services for children, as well as all ACT Public Service Directorates, need to notify the ACT Ombudsman of allegations that an employee has engaged in conduct that results in ill treatment, neglect or psychological harm to a child, misconduct of a sexual nature, or the employee has committed criminal offences involving a child. Employees in the scheme include volunteers and other persons engaged to provide services to children.
The ACT Public Service has a risk management approach to the employment of people who are ex-detainees, parolees or others with serious or extensive criminal histories. Applications from people who had such life experiences will not be automatically dismissed. However the ACT Public Service has a responsibility to ensure that all people it employs are capable of complying with the values and the Code of Conduct to maintain the trust of the Government and the community. Such appointments can only be made if the Head of Service is satisfied on reasonable grounds that the person is suitable for appointment having regard to such matters.
Personal Vetting
The purpose of a personnel vetting is to allow individuals to access certain government information and resources. A Security clearances or personnel vetting certificate is issued after the successful completion of background checks with re-assessment required at specific periods. These checks are undertaken to ensure that people entrusted with information:
- have had their identity confirmed
- are suitable to have access, and
- are willing to comply with the standards that safeguard the information.
There are a number of levels of security clearance, depending on the material that will be accessed.
CMTEDD positions with security clearance or Personnel Vetting certificate requirements
The Chief Minister’s, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate operates two personnel vetting streams for positions in that Directorate:
- The nationally issued Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) security clearances for Baseline to Negative Vetting 1/2 levels, which are transferrable; and
- An internally administered and issued CMTEDD personnel vetting certificate (similar to AGSVA Baseline level), which is not transferable.
If the CMTEDD role is identified as a Position of Trust 1 (PoT1) – Baseline level, you will require either an AGSVA security clearance which is valid for 15 years, or an ACT Government issued CMTEDD Personnel Vetting Program certificate which will be valid for five years. If you are a current employee who is on higher duties or promoted to a PoT1 role, the business unit must determine, on a risk management basis, whether you need to re-submit to checks that were conducted when you joined the ACT Public Service.
If the CMTEDD role is identified as a Position of Trust 2 (PoT2) – Negative Vetting 1 level (NV1) you will require an AGSVA issued NV1 security clearance which will be valid for ten years. If you are a current employee who is on higher duties or promoted to a PoT2 role, you will need to re-submit to checks that were conducted when you joined the ACTPS.