Creation

The Administrative Arrangements Act 1987 amended the Public Service Act 1922 so that the Public Service Board (CA 197) was abolished and the Office of the Public Service Commissioner was established. The Public Service Board began to wind down its activities and functions following the administrative changes of 24 July 1987. Operational aspects of personnel matters were passed to individual departments. Program budgeting, management improvement programs and classification issues were passed to the Department of Finance (CA 2140). Public Service arbitration, pay and conditions matters were passed to the Department of Industrial Relations [II] (CA 5989).

The Public Service Board was abolished on 18 September 1987 when the Administrative Arrangements Act 1987 came into operation. The Board was replaced by a new Public Service Commission which was established to administer the functions which had not been devolved to individual departments.

Abolition

The Public Service Commission and the Merit Protection and Review Agency (CA 4497) amalgamated on 16 December 1995 to form a new agency, the Public Service and Merit Protection Commission (CA 8213) as a result of the passage of the Public Service Legislation Amendment Act 1995.

Functions and Activities

The Public Service Commission supported the Public Service Commissioner's policy responsibility for human resource management in the Australian Public Service. This included policy for recruitment, appointment, promotion, mobility, performance management, human resource development, redeployment, and retirement. The Public Service Commissioner also had particular statutory responsibilities for the Senior Executive Service and Equal Employment Opportunity.

Sources

Commonwealth of Australia Acts, No. 92 of 1987, Administrative Arrangements Act 1987; No. 153 of 1995, Public Service Legislation Amendment Act 1995
Commonwealth Government Directory, February 1993, p 360

On the abolition of the Department of Works and Railways (CA 14) in 1932, the Lands and Survey Branch (CA 737) became the Property and Survey Branch of the Department of the Interior [I] (CA 27). Establishment of the Department was gazetted on 12 April 1932, and the Lands and Surveys function was notified in the Administrative Arrangements Order dated 13 April 1932. The Branch also absorbed lands functions from the former F.C.T. Branch (CA 756) of the Department of Home Affairs [II] (CA 24), together with Northern Territory matters from the latter.
In 1936, Northern Territory lands functions returned to the Central Office (Interior [I], CA 27). The Property and Survey Branch was transferred in 1938 to the Department of Works [I] (CA 30), and then in 1939 to the Department of the Interior [II] (CA 31).
In 1940 responsibility for bush fire control files passed to the ACT Bush Fire Council (CA 1950).
In 1943, a Housing Section was formed, to include functions previously dealt with by the Works and Services Branch (CA 742) and the Civic Branch (CA 757). The Housing Section of the Property and Survey Branch became a separate Housing and Accommodation Branch (CA 860) in 1947.
The Property and Survey Branch was responsible for the following functions:
From 1932

• Geodesy (International map of the world and 129th meridian)
• Lands and Surveys
• Lands Acquisitions Act, 1906-1936
• Properties, (a) transferred, (b) acquired (c) rented
  From 1947
  • Accommodation for Commonwealth Departments
• Geodesy
• Lands for Commonwealth purposes, acquisition and leasing of
• Lands Acquisition Act, 1906-1936
• Mapping, topographical and geographical, including international
  and aeronautical maps
• Property, Commonwealth, management of
• Surveys, land, engineering, topographical and geodetic
  With the reorganisation of the Department of the Interior [II] in 1951 the Branch was abolished and replaced by:
  • Property Section (CA 849)
• National Mapping Section (CA 1227)
• ACT Planning and Development Branch (CA 861)