AGY-5143 | Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Tribunal

Full description

The Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Tribunal (SOORT) was constituted under section 6 of the Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Act 1975 (Act No.4, 1976) on 2 February 1976. The Tribunal was appointed by the Governor for up to three years and assisted by two Assessors. (1)

The Tribunal was responsible for making determinations on the remuneration payable to the Chief Executive and Senior Executive Officers (SES); Judges, Magistrates and Related Group; and the Public Office Holders Group.

The Tribunal was required to make annual determinations on remuneration payable to the Judges, Magistrates and Related Group, Public Office Holders Group and the Senior Executive Service. The determinations took effect from 1 October each year. The Tribunal may also make special determinations on issues referred by the Minister. The Tribunal was required to determine compensation claims for Senior Executive Service and Police Service Senior Executive Service for officers whose contracts had been terminated or not renewed. The Tribunal issued a Statement of the Principles it applies in determining compensation matters.

The legislation dealing with compensation for the Senior Executive Service was contained in the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 2002 (Section 78). The legislation dealing with compensation for the Police Service Senior Executive Service was contained in the Police Service Act 1990 (Section 53).

Ministerial responsibility lays with the Premier, except in matters relating to Police Service Senior Executive Service where the responsibility was with the Minister for Police. (2)

Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Tribunal Act, 1975 listed public offices covered by the Act and Schedule 4 lists offices excluded from the Act. (3)

From 1 July 2014, annual determination changed to take effect from 1 July each year. The annual determination for the Governor of New South Wales took effect from the anniversary of appointment. (4)

By 2023, determinations on the remuneration payable had expanded to: Public Service Senior Executive (PSSE); Chief Executive and Senior Executive Service (SES); Judges and Magistrates Group; Court and Related Officers Group; Public Office Holders and Governor of New South Wales. (5)

The secretariat for NSW Remuneration Tribunals is located in the NSW Public Service Commission. While the secretariat provides administrative and policy support for each remuneration tribunal, the NSW Public Service Commission does not seek to influence the Tribunals in the undertaking of their independent statutory responsibilities. (6)

Endnotes
1. Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Tribunal Act 1975 (Act No.4, 1976), s.6; NSW Government Gazette No.15, 30 January 1976, p.398.
2. NSW Remuneration Tribunals website, Home, http://www.remtribunals.nsw.gov.au (accessed 1 November 2006).
3. Statutory and Other Offices Remuneration Tribunal Act 1975 (Act No.4, 1976), Sch. 1- 4.
4. Governor of New South Wales Annual Determination, 6 September 2021, p.3; NSW Remuneration Tribunals website, What are the Remuneration Tribunals?, https://www.remtribunals.nsw.gov.au/about (accessed 17 January 2022).
5. NSW Remuneration Tribunals website, What are the Remuneration Tribunals?, https://www.remtribunals.nsw.gov.au/about (accessed 17 January 2022).
6. NSW Remunerations Tribunals, About, https://www.remtribunals.nsw.gov.au/about#where-is-the-nsw-remuneration-tribunal-secretariat (accessed 25 January 2023).