Sheriff’s Officers – Transport and storage of appointments

June 20, 2018 Bulletins - NSW Sheriff's Office

Sheriff’s Officers – Transport and storage of appointments – June 2018 (PDF version)

Update on Transport and storage of appointments:

The PSA raised concerns with the NSW Sheriff at various Joint Consultative Committee meetings about Sheriff’s Officers breaching Schedule 1 of the Weapons Prohibition Regulation 2017 when transporting and storing their appointments at home.

A bulletin was sent to members on 26 March 2018 about Transport and storage of appointments. That bulletin can be found HERE. We requested members to complete a survey about transporting appointments from your main court to your home, storing them at home and transporting them to a hub or different court the next day. We thank the many members who responded to that survey, which found this practice mainly occurs in regional NSW, the Illawarra and Western Sydney. A further bulletin was sent to members on 28 March 2018. That bulletin can be found HERE.

The Office of the NSW Sheriff sent out its own survey to Sheriff’s Officers about the difficulty of complying with the Regulation’s requirements of storing appointments at home. We agree with the intent of that survey to obtain a list of courts where appointments are to be stored and Sheriff’s Officers rostered at those courts use them. However, we disagree that we didn’t provide our survey results. But, in the best interests of Sheriff’s Officers it is time to move on from what happened previously between the NSW Sheriff and PSA/SOVBAG with this issue.

At the Joint Consultative Committee on Thursday, 7 June 2018 the NSW Sheriff agreed with the PSA/SOVBAG that supplying of appointments in courts and especially in hub courts is the preferable solution. The locations of those courts will be based on our 26 March survey (responses received up to mid-June) and the NSW Sheriff’s survey results.

The NSW Sheriff also agreed until those courts are identified and stocked with appointments the Manager of Security will put out a factsheet in a Security Bulletin that Sheriff’s Officers are responsible for the ‘safe and secure’ storage of appointments at their home. The factsheet is to cover the Regulation’s storage requirements. Sheriff’s Officers will know if they are in breach of the Regulation and rectify it. We also sought that the factsheet covered transporting appointments to and from home. That is because ‘in the course of employment’ is not defined in the Regulation. The NSW Sheriff gave a few obvious examples of what that is and isn’t. It is being directed by your OIC or second OIC to work at a court that does not have appointments and it is preferable to travel directly to that court. Also, during transportation the appointments are in the physical control of the Sheriff’s Officer. That brings in a lot of scenarios like if you were robbed or assaulted or in car accident and taken to hospital, and appointments taken. It appeared the factsheet would not cover transportation.

At the Peak Consultative Committee on Thursday, 14 June with the Secretary of Justice, Andrew Cappie-Wood and Deputy Secretary Courts and Tribunal Services, Catherine D’Elia the PSA raised the progress of this issue, sought the factsheet covers transportation, and be urgently written and sent out to Sheriff’s Officers.

Ms D’Elia agreed to our requests. The PSA will update you further if there is unreasonable delay in the Security Bulletin containing the factsheet being sent out.

Further updates

Your union will continue to update members on matters affecting Sheriff’s Officers by visiting workplaces.

If you would like to arrange a meeting at your workplace please email Kirra Jackson

As always the PSA welcomes member’s feedback. Should you have any questions or comments please contact your delegate firstly and if required the PSA.

Your PSA/SOVBAG Delegates are:

Eddie Lia – Campbelltown Court

Daniel De La Paz – Penrith Court

Stephen Hancock – Burwood Court

Tony Morawsky – Mt Druitt

Andrew Pierce – Parramatta

Glen Elliot-Rudder – Wagga Wagga

Jason Woollett – Liverpool Court

Your PSA staff:

Andrew Boulton – PSA Industrial Officer

Kirra Jackson – PSA Organiser

What can you do?

Give a copy of this bulletin to your colleagues.
Print this bulletin and put it up on your notice board.
Ask a colleague to join the PSA.
Get involved as your Area Contact

Not a member? Join online – https://membership.psa.asn.au/Register

Members can update their details at – www.psa.asn.au/update-your-details/