Delivering In Changing World

Introduction

Every day public servants deliver for your fellow Australians. Today, is about you. Your dedication. Your commitment. The commitment to service you bring every day to your work. To you, I say a heartfelt 'thank you'.

Let me put this room in perspective. 14,111 public servants across South Australia drive the work of the APS. That is the same as the population of Port Lincoln, Australia's seafood capital. We may not have all 14,111 of you here today, but your work stretches across South Australia and beyond. Always aiming for outcomes that make life better for the people we serve. The work you do every day - being there when people need you most - is what builds Australians' trust in the public service. This success belongs to each one of you.

Real people delivering for Australia

The world is changing, fast. The Australian Public Service must move even faster. Behind every global shift are real, life-changing decisions. You help Australia meet the challenges of our changing world. Supporting the transition to net zero. Managing a major economic transformation. Strengthening Australia's defence capability.

Working with business to be resilient, more diversified, and more decentralised. None of this happens without the APS at the centre of delivery. And delivery is at the heart of the history of the Australian Public Service.

South Australia at the forefront of change

As you all well know, South Australia was founded 190 years ago this month. By the late 1800s, it was progressive and fearless, gaining a reputation for bold ideas.

From the Old Parliament House building, you could hear the murmur of voices in heated debate. Among the loudest voices were those of women. Mary Lee stood at the forefront of this revolution. Working at the heart of the South Australian Women's Suffrage League. She led petitions, debates, and tireless campaigns. She dared to imagine a world where women could vote and stand for Parliament. At times, it must have felt hopeless for her. The campaign failed again, and again.

She could hear men whisper in the background - women are 'too delicate' for politics. But still, Mary keeps campaigning. Then comes 1894. Mary was in the crowd at Parliament as debate spills from the chamber. A nervous tension hangs over the air, mixed with the smell of coal fires and dust from the streets. And suddenly, an amendment is read aloud allowing women to vote and stand for Parliament.

For the first time, women in Adelaide stepped into a world that was once closed to them. Right there on the streets of Adelaide, the world had changed. And South Australia has shown that diversity is not just fair. It is vital.

APS reflecting the community it serves

The Public Service is not perfect. We must always improve. And the APS must reflect the community we serve. Insights from the State of the Service Report show the gender pay gap has fallen from 10.2 per cent in 2011 to a record low of 4.4 per cent in 2024. Well below the national gap of 11.5 per cent.

Our Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Employment Strategy must drive lasting change too. In 2025, 26.8 per cent of APS employees reported their first language was not exclusively English, up from 25.9 per cent the year before. But just 11.8 per cent of SES is Culturally and Linguistically Diverse. We can do better.

First Nations leadership in the Australian Public Service has more than doubled, rising to 111 Senior Executive Service leaders in 2025.

There is much work to do.

The terrible events in Bondi last year remind us that we cannot rest on our laurels. There is still so much to do to bring, not just diversity, but dignity and cultural acceptance to our wide and varied workforce. Let me be clear. Jewish public servants must feel safe in all APS workplaces. Anti-Semites are not welcome in the Australian Public Service.

Professional and rewarding APS careers

Because we must be an employer of choice for all Australians. The APS Professions programs are shaping the next generation of public service. These professional communities guide career growth, offer expert support, and open pathways to rewarding careers across the APS. To strengthen this capability, three new profession streams have been introduced - Procurement and Contract Management, Evaluation and Complex Project Management, alongside the established Digital, Data, and HR networks. Today you will get to hear from Max Kulbida in the panel discussion who has been part of the evolution of the Evaluation profession.

State of the Service report insights for South Australia

Now let's talk about you.

Here, in South Australia:

• 3,942 work in service delivery, which is roughly the population of Kadina on the Copper Coast.
• 1,754 in policy, portfolio, and programs - about the size of Coober Pedy, the outback town best known for its underground lifestyle.
• 1,588 in compliance, regulation, and intelligence - similar size to Peterborough, a remote town famous for Magnetic Hill where gravity seems reversed.

The biggest five agencies in the state are Services Australia, the ATO, Defence, Home Affairs, and the NDIS.

When we talk about the APS delivering in a changing world, this is who we are talking about. We are talking about you.

The APS workforce spans 586 locations across Australia, delivering for the nation - from Adelaide to Darwin, Brisbane to my hometown of Perth.

This year's State of the Service Report shows engagement, wellbeing, innovation, and integrity in the APS are at an all-time high. The latest APS Employee Census shows:

• 93 per cent of APS staff understand how their role benefits the Australian public.
• 91 per cent say they are willing to go the extra mile when required.

This dedication makes the APS an extraordinary national institution. The APS Employee Census indicated the perception of innovation in the APS has risen from 65 points in 2024 to 68 in 2025.

This is achieved by you. And for that I say thanks.

AI plan for the APS

There are more changes coming for our workplaces. AI is amplifying innovation.

In 2025, Minister Katy Gallagher released the new AI Plan for the APS. This guides how the APS uses artificial intelligence safely, ethically, and transparently. Agencies are harnessing AI to analyse data, streamline service delivery, and deploy resources. Home Affairs now uses an AI-powered model to strengthen illegal drug detection across more than 3 million international mail consignments each month. High-quality data is training an AI model to detect weeds and native plant species across South Australia. Surveying large areas more quickly and accurately and targeting the best areas for weed management.

You only have to go back a few decades to see the transformation in delivery. The arrival of computers in the 1970s. The introduction of email and the internet in the 1990s. In 2020, Teams meetings became the norm. Each wave of technology has changed how the Public Service works. Each time, public servants have responded with purpose, professionalism, and an overriding commitment to serving the Australian public.

Conclusion

One of the truly remarkable things about the Australian Public Service is that it is always changing, always adapting, and always enduring.

As we reflect on our history, we see a thread that binds us. A commitment to public duty. To serving Australians. To evolving in step with the needs of the nation.

I look forward to working with all of you as we play our part in building Australia for generations to come.

Thank you.