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Gazette requirements
What is the Gazette?
The electronic APS Employment Gazette (the Gazette) contains notices required to be published under the Public Service Regulations 1999 (the Regulations) and the Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999 (the Commissioner’s Directions). Notices include employment opportunities and employment decisions (including staff movements, engagements and promotions).
As well as employment opportunities available in the APS (including Senior Executive Service, APS agency head and particular APS statutory office vacancies), the Gazette may contain employment opportunities and staff movements in the Australian Parliamentary Service. It may also contain employment opportunities available in non-APS Australian Government agencies.
The Gazette is incorporated in the APSjobs website which allows job seekers to search for employment opportunities, staff movements and other notices. APSjobs is also the electronic lodgement system for agencies to place notices in the Gazette.
The APS Employment Gazette has replaced the Public Service Gazette and is only available electronically, although there is a printable version available on the APSjobs website.
Further information on other Government gazettes administered by the Attorney-General’s Department can be found at http://www.publications.gov.au/gazettes.html.
What employment opportunities need to be notified in the Gazette?
Chapter 4 of the Commissioner’s Directions provides that job vacancies which may result in:
- the engagement of an ongoing employee (clause 4.2)
- the promotion of an ongoing employee (clause 4.6A), or
- the engagement of a non-ongoing employee for more than 12 months (clause 4.3)
must be notified in the Gazette.
What employment decisions need to be notified in the Gazette?
Regulation 3.12 of the Regulations sets out the employment decisions which must be notified in the Gazette. They include:
- engagement of an ongoing employee (including an ongoing Parliamentary Service employee as an ongoing APS employee)
- engagement of a non-ongoing employee for more than 12 months and the extension of a non-ongoing employee for a total period that will exceed 12 months
- engagement of an APS employee under a machinery of government change
- promotion of an ongoing employee
- promotion of an ongoing employee following a Promotion Review Committee decision
- movement at level (between agencies) where the relevant employment was originally notified in the Gazette
- assignment of duties (within an agency) where the relevant employment was originally notified in the Gazette
- assignment of duties to an SES employee at a lower classification without agreement
- termination of employment and grounds for termination under section 29(3) of the Public Service Act 1999 (the Act)
- retirement of an SES employee under section 37 of the Act (incentive to retire).
Where an employment decision is cancelled after it has appeared in the Gazette, the cancellation decision must then be notified in the Gazette (regulation 3.12A).
The date of effect of a promotion (regulation 3.8) and the date of effect of the engagement of an ongoing Parliamentary Service employee at a higher classification (regulation 3.8A) will depend on when the decision is notified in the Gazette.
The approval of a scheme for non-ongoing APS employees to gain skills and experience (regulation 3.3) must also be notified in the Gazette.
Publications and web links
Ongoing Employment - Recruitment and related issues (as amended by 2006/4)
Better, Faster: streamlining recruitment in the APS
Cracking the Code: How to apply for jobs in the Australian Public Service
Circulars and advice
Circular No 2008/2: APSjobs website enhancements
Circular No 2007/4: APSjobs website and the Australian Public Service Gazette
Circular No 2006/1: Use of identified criteria and special measures to fill employment opportunities (as amended by 2006/6)
Public Service Act 1999 Advice No 31: New arrangements for Gazette notifications for staffing under the Public Service Act 1922 and under the Public Service Act 1999(as amended by 2000/6, 2000/7, 2004/3, 2007/4, 2008/2)
Public Service Act 1999 Advice No. 7: Engagement of non-ongoing non-SES APS employees as amended by 2000/6, 2004/3, Conditions of Engagement, 2006/4)
Legislation
Public Service Act 1999, sections 29(3) and 37
Public Service Commissioner's Directions 1999, chapter 4
Public Service Regulations 1999, Regulations 3.3, 3.8, 3.8A, 3.12 and 3.12A
Parliamentary Service Act 1999
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Gazette?
- Where can I access previous Gazettes?
- What are the rules about advertising to supplement a Gazette notification?
- Can private companies and government agencies advertise their products and services on the Gazette?
- Are there other Gazettes published by the Commonwealth Government?
- How do I find out what employment opportunities are available in the Australian Public Service?
- What is a promotion?
- Do opportunities to perform duties temporarily at a higher classification level (higher duties) need to be advertised?
- Must a selection decision be based on advertising and competitive processes?
- Can an employment decision be cancelled?
