Upgrade of Parliament House Security Unit

Executive, 28 April 2008

Report adopted

After an ASIO review of Parliament's security was undertaken in 2006, a proposal was floated that only NSW Police Special Constables be used as Security Officers. The extra cost meant that the proposal was rejected by Treasury for financial year 2007-2008, but Treasury has indicated now that it will fund the proposal for financial year 2008-2009.

The move is essentially a restructure of Parliament's Security Unit. It is expected that Security Officers will be given the option of remaining on as Special Constables or taking a Voluntary Redundancy package. We expect that older members will accept the VR option, as many are close to the end of their security careers.

It is likely that Security Officers will be expected to undertake a training course to qualify as Special Constables. The training course is only four weeks in length, but does involve a physical and psychological screening which some members may not pass.

Parliament has said that the Police Commissioner is hoping that there will be a solid core of existing Security Officers who will make the transition to Special Constables so that institutional memory is not lost.

The Special Constables are notionally under the command of the Police Commissioner, but Parliament has stressed that their day-to-day management will still be undertaken by Parliament.

The proposal is still only in its preliminary stages, and PSA will receive a briefing on the subject, along with other staffing issues, from the Presiding Officers at month's end.