Crown Employees (Department of Primary Industries
and Regional Development) Technical Staff Award 2025
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Application by Industrial Relations Secretary.
(Case No. 248582 of 2025)
|
Before Commissioner Webster
|
18 February 2026
|
AWARD
Arrangement
Clause No. Subject Matter
PART A
1. Title
2. Definitions
3. Salaries
4. Progression
Criteria
5. Allowances
6. Penalty Loadings for Hatchery Staff
7 Hours of
Work
8. Job
Evaluation
9. Appeals
Mechanism for Progression
10. Anti-Discrimination
11. Deduction
of Union Membership Fees
12. No Extra
Claims
13. Area,
Incidence and Duration
PART B
MONETARY RATES
Table 1 - Salaries
Table 2 - Allowances
PART A
1. Title
This Award will be known as the Crown Employees (Department
of Primary Industries and Regional Development) Technical Staff Award.
2. Definitions
(i) "Act"
means Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
(ii) "Association"
means:
(a) the Public
Service Association and the Professional Officers’ Association Amalgamated
Union of New South Wales for all employees covered by the Award, and
(b) in the case of
Fisheries Technicians and Hatchery Staff whose roles were previously covered by
the Crown Employees (Department of Industry, Skills and Regional
Development) Fisheries Employees Award, the Public Service Association and
the Professional Officers’ Association Amalgamated Union of New South Wales,
the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (NSW Branch) and the
Electrical Trades Union, NSW Branch.
(iii) "Department"
means the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, or as
otherwise specified in Schedule 1 of the Government
Sector Employment Act 2013.
(iv) “Hatchery Staff”
for the purpose of this Award, means Hatchery Manager, Assistant Manager and
Hatchery Guide Attendants at Gaden and Ebor Trout Hatcheries, who undertake
primarily a salmonid fingerling production role.
(v) "Industrial
Relations Secretary" means the Secretary of the Premier’s Department, as
established under the Government Sector
Employment Act 2013.
(vi) "Job
Evaluation" means a methodology agreed to between the parties to grade
Technical Staff under this Award.
(vii) "Member of
staff" for the purposes of this Award, means a person employed as an
employee on probation or employee, employed in any capacity under the
provisions of Part 4, Division 5 of the Act.
(viii) "Normal
Work" is defined as the duties, responsibilities and capabilities relevant
to the Role Description, of a member, or members, of staff, at the time of a
grievance, dispute or difficulty.
(ix) "Public
Service" means the Public Service of New South Wales as defined in the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
(x) "Role"
means a role as dealt with in Division 5 of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
(xi) "Salary Rates" means the ordinary
time rate of pay for the member of staff’s grading, excluding shift allowances,
weekend penalties and all other allowances not regarded as salary.
(xii) "Secretary"
means the Secretary of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional
Development as specified in Schedule 1 of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
(xiii) "Service"
means continuous service for salary purposes.
(xiv) "Technical
Assistant" means an employee who holds the New South Wales School
Certificate or its equivalent and is able to
demonstrate the ability to undertake the capabilities provided for in the
Government Sector Capabilities Framework as outlined in the role description
that is required for employment in any of the roles covered by the provisions
of this Award. VET Certificate II in any
qualification is considered equivalent to the NSW School Certificate.
(xv) "Technical
Co-ordinator" means an employee who has the experience, expertise and is
able to demonstrate the ability to undertake the capabilities provided for in
the Government Sector Capabilities Framework as outlined in the role
description that allows them to accept responsibility for the supervision and
co-ordination of technical activities in a technical section or work unit and
is assigned to a role designated as such.
(xvi) "Technical
Manager" means an employee who is able to
demonstrate the ability to undertake the capabilities provided for in the
Government Sector Capabilities Framework as outlined in the role description of
the role and assigned to a role designated as such.
(xvii) "Technical
Officer" means an employee who is able to
demonstrate the ability to undertake the capabilities provided for in the
Government Sector Capabilities Framework as outlined in the role description of
the role and holds:
(a) a Biological
Technicians Certificate, Chemistry Certificate Course, or the Pathology
Technician Certificate Course from TAFE, or a relevant VET Diploma (equivalent
AQF Level V) or other qualification deemed by the Department to be equivalent;
or
(b) a trade
qualification plus 5 years relevant post trade experience that is required for
employment in any of the roles covered by the provisions of this Award; or,
(c) a Library
Technician Certificate from TAFE or other qualification deemed by the
Department to be equivalent; or
(d) successfully
completed two-thirds of the required credit points necessary for the awarding
of a relevant degree; or
(e) a relevant AQF
Certificate IV or equivalent plus 5 years relevant post qualification
experience.
(xviii) "Technical
Staff" means all members of staff employed to provide technical
contributions to the achievement of the Department’s corporate goals.
3. Salaries
(i) Subject
to the provisions of the Government
Sector Employment Act 2013, the Government Sector Employment Regulation
2014, the Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014 thereunder and the Crown Employees (Public Sector - Salaries
2024) Award, the rates of salary as set out in Table 1 - Salaries, of
Part B, Monetary Rates, will be paid to members of staff assigned to roles at
grades specified. This award is listed in Schedule A of the Crown Employees (Public Sector - Salaries
2024) Award and salaries payable to employees will be in accordance
with that award or any award replacing it. The rates set out at
Table 1 and Table 2 of Part B, of this award are subject to the rates as
set by the Crown Employees (Public
Sector - Salaries 2024) Award or any award replacing it.
(ii) In
respect of persons formally employed as Fisheries Technicians or Hatchery staff
under the Crown Employees (Department of Industry Skills and Regional Development)
Fisheries Employees Award who are now employed under this award, employees
will transition to the relevant classification under this award in accordance
Annexure A. A
Classification Transition Table for Fisheries Technicians to Technical Officers
is at Annexure A to the Award. Annexure A applies to the transition of
Fisheries Technicians and Hatchery staff from being employed under the Crown
Employees (Department of Industry Skills and Regional Development) Fisheries
Employees Award to this award and is not relevant to any future iterations
of the Award.
4.
Progression Criteria
(i) A Technical Assistant who has been in
receipt of the maximum salary prescribed for their grade for 12 months will be
eligible for progression to the next grade, up to and including Grade 3,
subject to satisfying the merit progression criteria.
(ii) A Technical
Officer, who has been in receipt of the maximum salary prescribed for their
grade for 12 months, will be eligible for progression to the next grade, up to
and including Grade 3, subject to satisfying the merit progression criteria.
(iii) Technical
Manager roles will be included at levels, Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 5, with
promotion into such roles being by assignment subject to the occurrence of a
vacancy and completing a comparative assessment process.
5. Allowances
(i) Technical
Co-ordinator Allowance.
(a) A member of
staff who is assigned to a role as a Technical Co-ordinator will be paid an
allowance as set out in Item 1 of Table 2 - Allowances of Part B, Monetary
Rates, from the date of their assignment. The allowance will be part of the
member of staff’s salary for all purposes and will be adjusted in accordance
with any variations applied commensurate with this Award. The allowance will
also be superable.
(b) Members of staff
will be assigned to the role of Technical Co-ordinator for periods of up to two
years with future assignments to be determined by comparative assessment.
(ii) Sea Going
Allowance.
An employee who is absent from his/her port of
departure for ten hours or more will be entitled to the provisions of the
following clauses of the Crown
Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009,
as varied or replaced.
|
Clause 26:
|
Travelling Compensation
|
|
Clause 27:
|
Excess Travelling Time
|
|
Clause 28:
|
Waiting Time
|
|
Clause 29:
|
Meal Expenses on One-Way Journeys
|
|
Clause 30:
|
Restrictions on Payment of Travelling Allowances
|
|
Clause 31:
|
Increase or Reduction in Payment of Travelling Allowances
|
|
Clause 32:
|
Production of Receipts
|
|
Clause 33:
|
Travelling Distance
|
|
|
|
(iii) Regional Dive Co-ordinator
and Dive Usage Allowances for Fisheries Technicians
(a) Regional Dive
Co-ordinator Allowance (annual) is paid to perform the additional
responsibilities of the role when conducting diving activities in accordance
with the Department’s Diving Code of Practice.
An allowance will be for a period of up to 3 years and as a result of an Expression of Interest. The allowance is set out in Item 2 of Table 2
- Allowances, of Part B, Monetary Rates and is adjusted in accordance with the
percentage increase applying to salary rates.
(b) Dives no greater
than 15 metres in depth - Allowance of $45.00 per day of diving.
(c) Dives greater
than 15 metres in depth - Allowance of $5.53 per metre of diving. Where
multiple depths are dived on a particular day, the dive of the greatest depth
will be the rate calculated for that day and no other
allowance will apply.
6. Penalty Loadings
for Hatchery Staff
Loading for Hatchery Staff - The loading of 11.05 per cent
is paid to employees who are required to regularly work outside normal working
hours. Due to the range of times Managers and Assistant Managers may be
required to work, a salary loading of 11.05 per cent will be applied to their
roles. Guides and attendants at
hatcheries who are also required to work such hours will also be entitled to
the payment of the loading.
7. Hours of Work
(i) Both
full-time and part-time members of staff, subject to Departmental convenience,
will work a flexible working hour’s arrangement in accordance with the
Department’s Flexible Working Hours Agreement, which is a co-lateral
arrangement under clause 10, Local Arrangement, of the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed
Award 2009.
(ii) Members of
staff cannot be required to work more than 5 hours in one continuous period
without an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes.
8. Job Evaluation
Roles classified as Technical Staff will be graded in
accordance with the accredited Job Evaluation methodology and to meet the
requirements of the NSW Government Sector Capability Framework as agreed by the
Secretary and the Association.
9. Appeals Mechanism
for Progression
(i) A
member of staff of the Department will have the right to appeal any decision
made by the Department in relation to their performance assessment review in
relation to progression criteria assessment.
(ii) Members of
staff may submit a written submission outlining their case to the Director
Human Resources and Industrial Relations within 28 days of the decision being
made.
(iii) The Director
Human Resources and Industrial Relations will constitute an appeals committee
made up of one Management representative, an Association representative and one
peer that is acceptable to both Management and the Association.
(iv) The appeal will
be heard within 28 days of it being lodged and the recommendation of the
committee will be forwarded to the Secretary or nominee for approval.
(v) The decision of
the Secretary or nominee will be forwarded to the member of staff concerned
within 7 working days of the appeal being heard.
(vi) This appeal
mechanism will not cover matters that are dealt with by clause 24 of the
Government Sector Employment (General) Rules 2014.
10.
Anti-Discrimination
(i) It
is the intention of the parties bound by this Award to seek to achieve the
object in section 3(f) of the Industrial
Relations Act 1996 to prevent and eliminate discrimination in the
workplace. This includes discrimination on the grounds of race, sex,
transgender identity, marital or domestic status, disability, responsibilities
as a carer, homosexuality, HIV/AIDS infected or age.
(ii) It follows that
in fulfilling their obligations under the dispute resolution procedure
prescribed by this Award the parties have obligations to take all reasonable
steps to ensure that the operation of the provisions of this Award are not directly or indirectly discriminatory in their
effects. It will be consistent with the fulfilment of these obligations for the
parties to make application to vary any provision of the Award which, by its
terms or operation, has a direct or indirect discriminatory effect.
(iii) Under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977, it is
unlawful to victimise an employee because the employee has made or may make or
has been involved in a complaint of unlawful discrimination or harassment.
(iv) Nothing in this
clause is to be taken to affect:
(a) any conduct or
act which is specifically exempted from anti-discrimination legislation;
(b) offering or
providing junior rates of pay to persons under 21 years of age;
(c) any act or
practice of a body established to propagate religion which is exempted under
section 56(d) of the Anti-Discrimination
Act 1977;
(d) a party to this
Award from pursuing matters of unlawful discrimination in any State or federal
jurisdiction.
(v) This clause
does not create legal rights or obligations in addition to those imposed upon
the parties by the legislation referred to in this clause.
Employers and employees may also be subject to Commonwealth
anti-discrimination legislation.
(b) Section 56(d) of
the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977
provides:
(c) "Nothing
in the Act affects ... any other act or practice of a body established to
propagate religion that conforms to the doctrines of that religion or is
necessary to avoid injury to the religious susceptibilities of the adherents of
that religion."
11. Deduction of Union
Membership Fees
(i) The
Association will provide the employer with a schedule setting out Association
fortnightly membership fees payable by members of the Association in accordance
with the Association's rules.
(ii) The Association
will advise the employer of any change to the amount of fortnightly membership
fees made under its rules. Any variation to the schedule of Association
fortnightly membership fees payable will be provided to the employer at least
one month in advance of the variation taking effect.
(iii) Subject to (i) and (ii) above, the employer will deduct Association
fortnightly membership fees from the pay of any employee who is a member of the
Association in accordance with the Association's rules, provided that the
employee has authorised the employer to make such deductions.
(iv) Monies so
deducted from employee's pay will be forwarded regularly to the Association
together with all necessary information to enable the Association to reconcile
and credit subscriptions to employees' Association membership accounts.
(v) Unless other
arrangements are agreed to by the employer and the Association, all Association
membership fees will be deducted on a fortnightly basis.
(vi) Where an
employee has already authorised the deduction of Association membership fees
from his or her pay prior to this clause taking effect, nothing in this clause
will be read as requiring the employee to make a fresh authorisation in order for such deductions to continue.
12. No Extra Claims
(i) The
Industrial Relations Commission recognises that the parties have provided an
undertaking that, other than as provided for in the Industrial Relations Act
1996, there will be no further claims/demands or proceedings instituted before
the Industrial Relations Commission for extra or reduced wages, salaries, rates
of pay, allowances or conditions of employment with respect to the Employees
covered by the Award that take effect prior to 1 July 2027 unilaterally made by
a party to the Award, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
(ii) This
undertaking does not prevent the Parties from continuing collaborative
discussions during the life of the Award to deliver additional enhancements to
remuneration and/or conditions of employment, and to achieve additional
industry wide and systemic efficiencies and productivity improvements to the
delivery of Government services to the public. Changes to conditions or
salaries may be jointly progressed and, if agreed, an application to vary the
Award may be made by consent prior to 1 July 2027.
(iii) Parties are not
prevented from commencing any proceedings with respect to the interpretation,
application or enforcement of existing award provisions.
13. Area, Incidence
and Duration
(i) The
Award will apply to each member of staff described as Technical Staff employees
in clause 2, Definitions.
(ii) The members of
staff regulated by this Award will be entitled to the conditions of employment
as set out in this Award and, except where specifically varied by this Award,
existing conditions are provided for under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013, the Government Sector
Employment Regulation 2014, the Government Sector Employment (General) Rules,
the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award
2009 and the Crown Employees (Public Sector - Salaries 2024) Award or any
Awards replacing these Awards.
(iii) This award
rescinds and replaces the Crown Employees
(Department of Industry) Technical Staff Award 2021 published 24 December 2021 (Vol 391 I.G. 367), and all
variations thereof.
(iv) With the
exception of Part B which takes effect in accordance with its terms, the Award
otherwise takes effect from the date of the decision of the Industrial
Relations Commission. The nominal term of the award is two years, which will
expire on 1 July 2027.
PART B
MONETARY RATES
Effective from the beginning of the first full pay period to
commence on or after 1 July 2025 and 2026 respectively.
Table 1 - Salaries
(A) Full-time rates
Technical Assistant
|
Grade
|
1.7.25
|
1.7.26
|
Common Salary Point
|
|
|
Per annum 3%
|
Per annum 3%
|
|
|
|
$
|
$
|
|
|
Junior
|
|
|
|
|
Under 17
|
31,685
|
32,636
|
n/a
|
|
Age 17
|
38,019
|
39,160
|
n/a
|
|
Age 18
|
44,356
|
45,687
|
n/a
|
|
Age 19
|
50,697
|
52,218
|
n/a
|
|
Age 20
|
57,032
|
58,743
|
n/a
|
|
Grade 1
|
|
|
|
|
1st Year
|
63,367
|
65,268
|
26
|
|
2nd Year
|
65,078
|
67,030
|
29
|
|
3rd Year and thereafter
|
67,341
|
69,361
|
33
|
|
Grade 2
|
|
|
|
|
1st Year
|
69,220
|
71,297
|
36
|
|
2nd Year and thereafter
|
71,189
|
73,325
|
39
|
|
Grade 3
|
|
|
|
|
1st Year
|
73,879
|
76,095
|
43
|
|
2nd Year and thereafter
|
75,728
|
78,000
|
46
|
Technical Officer
|
Grade
|
1.7.25
Per annum 3%
|
1.7.26
Per annum 3%
|
Common Salary Point
|
|
|
$
|
$
|
|
|
Grade 1
1st Year
|
75,728
|
78,000
|
46
|
|
2nd Year
|
78,711
|
81,072
|
50
|
|
3rd Year
|
80,815
|
83,239
|
53
|
|
4th Year and thereafter
|
83,099
|
85,592
|
56
|
|
Grade 2
|
|
|
|
|
1st Year
|
89,934
|
92,632
|
64
|
|
2nd Year
|
92,701
|
95,482
|
67
|
|
3rd Year
|
95,384
|
98,246
|
70
|
|
4th Year and thereafter
|
101,039
|
104,070
|
76
|
|
Grade 3
|
|
|
|
|
1st Year
|
105,986
|
109,166
|
81
|
|
2nd Year
|
109,127
|
112,401
|
84
|
|
3rd Year
|
112,454
|
115,828
|
87
|
|
4th Year and thereafter
|
116,969
|
120,478
|
91
|
|
Grade 4
|
|
|
|
|
1st Year
|
121,845
|
125,500
|
95
|
|
2nd Year
|
125,720
|
129,492
|
98
|
|
3rd Year
|
128,222
|
132,069
|
100
|
|
4th Year and thereafter
|
131,909
|
135,866
|
103
|
|
Grade 5
|
|
|
|
|
1st Year
|
137,176
|
141,291
|
107
|
|
2nd Year
|
141,286
|
145,525
|
110
|
|
3rd Year and thereafter
|
145,442
|
149,805
|
113
|
(B) Part-Time Hourly
Rate Formula
|
Annual
Salary
|
|
1
|
|
1
hours pay
|
|
52.17857143
|
x
|
35
|
x
|
|
Table 2 - Allowances
|
Item
No.
|
Clause
No.
|
Brief
Description
|
Amount
1.7.25 Per annum
3%
$
|
Amount
1.7.26 Per annum
3%
$
|
|
1
|
5(i)
|
Technical
Co-ordinator Allowance
|
3,402
|
3,504
|
|
2
|
5(iii)(a)
|
Regional
Dive Co-ordinator Allowance
|
2,568
|
2,645
|
|
3
|
5(iii)(b)
|
Dive
Usage Allowance (no greater than 15 metres in depth)
|
45.00
per day
|
46.35
per day
|
|
4
|
5(iii)(b)
|
Dive
Usage Allowance (greater than 15 metres depth)
|
5.53
per metre of diving
|
5.69
per metre of diving
|
Annexure A
Classification Transition Table
|
From: Crown Employees
(Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development) Fisheries Employees
Award
|
To: Crown Employees (Department
of Industry) Technical Staff Award
|
|
Fisheries Scientific
Technician & Fisheries Maintenance Technician
|
Technical Officer
|
|
Grade 1 – Year 1
|
Grade 1 First Year
|
|
Grade 1 – Year 2
|
Grade 1 First Year
|
|
Grade 1 – Year 3
|
Grade 1 First Year
|
|
Grade 1 – Year 4
|
Grade 1 First Year
|
|
Grade 1 – Year 5
|
Grade 1 First Year
|
|
Grade 1 – Year 6
|
Grade 1 First Year
|
|
Grade 2 - Year 1
|
Grade 1 Second Year
|
|
Grade 2 - Year 2
|
Grade 1 Fourth Year
|
|
Grade 2 - Year 3
|
Grade 2 First Year
|
|
Note: Also incorporates
Assistant Manager Hatchery
|
|
|
Grade 3 - Year 1
|
Grade 2 First Year
|
|
Grade 3 - Year 2
|
Grade 2 Third Year
|
|
Grade 3 - Year 3
|
Grade 2 Fourth Year
|
|
Note: Also incorporates Manager
Hatchery
|
|
|
Grade 4 - Year 1
|
Grade 3 First Year
|
|
Grade 4 - Year 2
|
Grade 3 First Year
|
|
Grade 4 - Year 3
|
Grade 3 Second Year
|
|
Grade 5 - Year 1
|
Grade 3 Fourth Year
|
|
Grade 5 - Year 2
|
Grade 4 First Year
|
|
Grade 5 - Year 3
|
Grade 4 First Year
|
J. WEBSTER, Commissioner
____________________
Printed by
the authority of the Industrial Registrar.