South Australia: Merit, engagement and transfers
Version checked: 19 February 2026.
This determination governs merit recruitment, engagement, duty assignment and transfers for covered public-service employment and other employment brought within section 16 of the Public Sector Act 2009. Its binding provisions sit alongside explanatory material; check the employee’s statutory coverage before applying either.
Vacancies lasting at least twelve months generally require advertising on I Work for SA, subject to specified exceptions. Selection should be competitive, transparent and free from bias. Temporary employment rules depend on the actual statutory category, not simply the contract’s label. The document also addresses attraction allowances, restructuring, higher duties and return rights following temporary transfers.
For correctional staff, a practical review should compare the advertised role, substantive classification, actual duties, selection record and transfer terms. An acting assignment does not necessarily remove underlying ongoing status. Equally, a right to return to an agency does not always guarantee the identical former duties.
Keep appointment letters, vacancy notices, selection reasons and higher-duties directions. Test any alleged breach against the applicable Act, regulations and enterprise agreement rather than treating every guidance paragraph as an independent entitlement.
General information, not advice on a particular case. Check coverage and the current industrial instrument before acting.
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