Prisons to be hit by razor
CORRECTIONS has vowed frontline staff won’t be affected by a $10 million budget cut as the public service scrambles to find savings to plug the Government’s looming budget black hole.
Corrections Commissioner Mark Payne flew to Alice Springs on Friday to brief staff on the cuts.
The Sunday Territorian understands 31 positions have been targeted, to save $3 million. But despite initial fears that would mean fewer guards in prisons, the Government has given assurances no frontline staff will be affected.
An Attorney-General’s Department spokeswoman said the cuts were made against a bleak budgetary outlook.
All government departments and agencies have been ordered to find savings as the public service tightens its belt.
Corrections was absorbed by the Department of Attorney-General and Justice earlier this year as part of widespread changes to the structure of the public service.
The spokeswoman said these changes had resulted in the need for Corrections to “resize” to “reflect these changing responsibilities”.
Most of the positions in the firing line were already vacant. The remaining affected workers will be shuffled across to other roles within the public service.
The Sunday Territorian understands 31 positions will be axed, including 10 which are currently filled.
A further $3 million will be “redirected” from Correctional Industries, the program which puts prisoners to work in manufacturing jobs. The changes will be finalised next year.
“The reshaping of Correctional Industries will expand opportunities for prisoners to participate in programs which build real work skills,” the spokeswoman said.
The Department was unable to answer questions yesterday as to whether the Sentenced to a Job program would be affected.
Treasurer Nicole Manison this year directed the public service to cut $150 million from its overall budget over two years as the Government attempted to deal with a perfect storm of economic condition, including a slowdown in private investment, negative population growth, a slowdown in construction, as well as GST cuts and the wind down of the Ichthys LNG project.