Operating as a sustainable organisation will continue to present challenges for staff, stakeholders and customers as PIRSA services and projects adapt to our constantly changing world. PIRSA will continue to develop and align its capability and skill profile to meet these opportunities and community expectations.

PIRSA fosters a work place that is innovative and responsive to client needs and encourages creativity and the value of diversity from contributions that people make to our business.

Key policies in support of this objective include:

PIRSA Strategy Framework

Contact person: Tim Mares, Director, Corporate Strategy and Policy
Phone: 8226 0516

The Government of South Australia's reform agenda has a strong emphasis on initiatives that improve policy and service delivery integration and cooperation across agencies.  The PIRSA Strategy Framework (.PPT) 512 KB provides the tools that enable PIRSA to identify and respond to key issues facing South Australia.  As well as being a tool for collaboration with industry and the community, it aims to provide a coordinated, consultative and coherent input into the Government's planning and budgeting processes.  The ultimate purpose of this role is to facilitate and assist the primary and resource industries enhance sustainable economic growth.

Customer Service Policy

Contact person: Tim Mares, Director, Corporate Strategy & Policy
Phone: 8226 0516

PIRSA Customer Service Policy GO P 011 (DOC 455kb)

PIRSA is committed to establishing an organisational culture that is customer-oriented and where customer service is an integral part of PIRSA’s activities and management philosophy consistent with South Australia’s Strategic Plan Target 1.7, and the underpinning principles of the Code of Ethics for the South Australian Public Sector and relevant legislation.

This policy provides a framework for the development and implementation of agency customer service charters, and to ensure customer feedback is used to inform and implement continuous improvement in agency performance, service standards and service commitment.

Cost Recovery Policy

Contact person: Will Zacharin, Chair PIRSA Cost Recovery Panel
Phone: 8207 7980

PIRSA Cost Recovery Policy GO P 014 (DOC 536Kb)

PIRSA has established a set of policy principles to enable the agency to make consistent decisions on the appropriate recovery of the cost of PIRSA goods and services to the private and other non-government sectors of the economy.  This includes regulatory activities such as aquaculture leases/licences, commercial fishing licenses, food safety accreditation, animal health disease control programs and information services (including some scientific and technical services) provided.

The policy is intended to improve the consistency, transparency and accountability of existing and future cost recovery fees and charges arrangements; assist in establishing the appropriate levels of service delivery; and promote the efficient and equitable allocation of resources.  It adopts 11 key principles adapted from the Australian Government Cost Recovery Guidelines and Productivity Commission reports on cost recovery.

Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare (OHS&W) Policy

Contact person:
Eleni Tsiaprakas, Manager, Strategic Human Resources
Phone: (08) 8463 7596

Lynn Hayward, Prinicpal OHS&W & IM Consultant
Phone: (08) 8226 0484

PIRSA is committed to achieving the highest standard of health, safety and welfare for its staff through the provision of safe and healthy workplaces. This commitment extends to all others that visit PIRSA premises.

The Government of South Australia has adopted a 'No Harm' vision for Public Sector workplaces. To enable this vision, a Workplace Safety Management Strategy (WSMS) has been implemented across the Public Sector and includes a number of high performance targets for Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare and Injury Management. To support this aim and meet the requirements of the Risk Management Policy, PIRSA has implemented a risk management system known as PIRRISK.

Disability Policy

Contact person:
Eleni Tsiaprakas, Manager, Strategic Human Resources
Phone: (08) 8463 7596

Nichola McDonald
Phone: (08) 8226 0195

PIRSA is committed to the rights of people with disabilities and will promote the recognition and acceptance within PIRSA of the principle that people with disabilities have the same fundamental rights as the rest of the community.

On 22 November 2000 the then Minister for Disability Services launched Promoting Independence – Disability Action Plans for SA.  The initiative provides a policy framework for the development of Disability Action Plans as a key strategy for all South Australian Government Portfolios and their agencies.

PIRSA’s Disability Action Plan represents PIRSA’s ongoing commitment to fulfil the inclusive and non-discriminatory requirements of progressive legislation and policies.

Procurement Policy

Contact person: Belinda Cece, Procurement Development Officer
Phone: 8226 2762

PIRSA operates under a decentralised purchasing model whereby at all levels, procurement can be undertaken by any staff member within the agency who has the appropriate delegated authority, within the following guidelines:

• At least one verbal quote is required for purchases up to $11,000 (incl GST).
• At least 3 written quotes are required for purchases between $11,000 and $110,000 (incl GST).

For purchases greater than $110,000 generally an open market approach is to be used.

The SA Tenders and Contracts website is used for all open market approaches.

Risk Management Policy 

Contact person: Peter Brass
Phone: 8226 0237

PIRSA working towards managing uncertainties as it creates sustainable value.

PIRSA is committed to a policy of Risk Management to protect its employees, assets, earnings, liabilities and the public against potential losses in order to maximise effectiveness and efficiency.

Our risk management philosophy is about transforming uncertainty into risk information and making informed decisions about the management of those risks.

To support this aim and to meet the requirements of the risk management policy statement, PIRSA has implemented a risk management sytem called PIRRISK. A text version of the risk management policy statement is also available (.HTML).

It is the responsibility of Groups to adopt 'PIRRISK', and to ensure that this approach is communicated to, and has the active support of all employees in the areas for which they are accountable.

Whistleblowers Policy

PIRSA Whistleblowers Policy HR-P-001 - PDF 221KB - (RTF 9MB)

This policy has been developed to ensure PIRSA’s internal administrative mechanisms, protocols and processes for the receipt and management of Whistleblowers disclosures comply with the requirements of the Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993.

Family Friendly Policies

Contact person: Caroline Whitehouse, Senior Human Resources Consultant
Phone: (08) 8226 0032
For text versions of the Family Friendly policies please contact Caroline Whitehouse.

PIRSA is committed to offering flexible employment conditions to its employees in order to encourage work life balance. Our suite of family friendly human resource management policies, procedures and guidelines include:

PIRSA Breastfeeding Policy HR-P-004 - PDF 116.8 KB
To meet the needs of employees who are breastfeeding.  This policy recognises the importance of breastfeeding for both carers and babies, and aims to provide flexible work arrangements and a supportive environment for breastfeeding women to help balance breastfeeding with their work responsibilities.

PIRSA Carers Policy HR-P-003 – DOC 473 Kb
To recognise and support employees who provide ongoing care for a person who has a disability, a chronic illness including mental illness or who is frail and therefore requires ongoing assistance and care, as well as employees with parenting care roles and/or who are required to provide occasional/short-term care.  This policy ensures employees in these roles are supported and have access to flexible work practices to assist in balancing their work and carer roles.

PIRSA Family Room Guideline HR-G-001 – DOC 426.5 KB
To recognise that many employees have care responsibilities and sometimes it is difficult to find care for family members, especially at short notice or in emergencies, PIRSA has established a workplace family room. This guideline aims to alleviate some of these difficulties among employees and assist employees in reconciling their participation in the workforce and their family care commitments by providing a workplace family room for short-term care.

PIRSA Keeping in Touch Policy HR-P-005 - PDF 120.3 KB
To give employees on prolonged periods of leave without pay the opportunity to keep in touch with the workplace. This assists employees to remain up to date with workplace news and changes, maintain their connections with the workplace and help their transition back to work.

Equality and Diversity Policy

Contact person:
Anna Gabrielli, Team Leader, HR Consulting
Phone: 8226 0275

Eleni Tsiaprakas, Manager, Strategic Human Resources
Phone: (08) 8463 7596

Nichola McDonald
Phone: (08) 8226 0195

PIRSA is dedicated to gaining and benefiting from diversity within its workforce.

This diversity will proceed beyond the mere legislative grounds for discrimination; culture, gender, racial background, age, sexuality, etc, and in addition, personal issues including demeanour, attitudes and appearance.

Supporting diversity within PlRSA means not basing decisions on comfort zones, image or the concept of 'fitting in' to our culture, but assessing people by merit.

Women:
Currently women make up 51% of South Australia’s population, yet there is still under-representation in our Government Boards & Committees.

PIRSA recognise that fairness and equity demand that this be addressed by continuing to develop trust building and relationships, increasing involvement in activities and democratic processes and building strong networks across the Public Sector.

Aboriginal Employment:
PIRSA is dedicated to meeting the targets set out in the State Strategic Plan to increase the percentage of the Aboriginal population in the South Australian public sector from 1.2% to 2% within 5 years. (T6.2).

In addition, over the next five years PIRSA will continue working with The Office for the Commissioner for Public Employment towards securing the SA Public Sector in becoming an Employer of Choice for Indigenous South Australians.

More Information on PIRSA's Committment to Aboriginal Reconcilitation