Top end PS jobs fill first

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk’s government went on a hiring spree of the most senior public servants in her first term in power – with the highest paid roles growing three times as fast as the rest of the bureaucracy.

Queensland taxpayers are shelling out more than $3 billion a year on salaries for the most senior public servants in the state after the ranks of the highest paid bureaucrats grew by 30 per cent over the past three years.

Ms Palaszczuk’s office defended the rapid growth at the top end, saying she was proud to be “rebuilding the public service” after cuts imposed by Campbell Newman.

The government says many of the most highly paid extra staff are doctors and executives in frontline departments.

Public service workforce data reveals public service growth has been mainly at the top, with the state taking on an extra 4158 of the most highly paid staff in the past three years.

The number of people on Senior Officer and Senior Executive Service or above salaries rose from 13,797 in December 2014 to 17,955 in December last year – a 30 per cent increase.

The total public service workforce increased by just over 10 per cent during the same period – from 196,856 in December 2014 to 218,957 in December 2017.

The increase is far above the government’s stated aim of increasing public servant numbers in line with population growth in coming years.

Senior officer salaries start at $147,437 a year while SES salaries range from $162,474 to $320,047 and chief executives are paid between $467,002 and $712,596.