The Police Association of South Australia (PASA) has secured the terms of a proposed new enterprise agreement delivering major salary increases and extensive improvements to the pay and conditions of SA police.
Association president Wade Burns said the agreement represented a generational outcome for police and would significantly strengthen the state's ability to attract and retain officers into the future.
The agreement builds on the Administrative Arrangement secured by PASA in December 2024 and provides for a further four salary increases:
- 4% from the first full pay period on or after 1 January 2027.
- 4% or the police-specific inter-jurisdictional midpoint if greater, from 1 January 2028.
- 4% from 1 January 2029.
- 4% or the police-specific inter-jurisdictional midpoint if greater, from 1 January 2030.
Taken together with the salary increases secured through the December 2024 arrangement, police base salaries will increase by a minimum of approximately 28.11 to 31.48 per cent between January 2025 and January 2030, depending on rank and increment, before the separate $3,500 retention payment from the Administrative Arrangement, and any additional benefit that could flow from the midpoint mechanism.
But President Burns also said the agreement extended far beyond headline wage increases.
"I would regard this as a generational agreement for our members," he said.
"Since I was elected to the role of president, our focus has been on rebuilding the value of a police career and making it a job of choice again - improving remuneration, valuing experience and specialist skills, strengthening regional incentives and delivering conditions that will help attract and retain police into the future.
"This agreement delivers across all of those areas."
The package includes a new percentage-based allowance for experienced uniform front-line operational police, substantially improved specialist allowances, a completely redesigned on-call payment model, enhanced regional and remote incentives, improvements to career progression and expanded flexible and extended-hours rostering arrangements.
It also delivers a significant package of family and work-life improvements, long-service leave cash-out arrangements, fatigue protections and a range of other employment conditions.
The inclusion of Level 3 incentives for Coober Pedy, consistent with the recommendations arising from PASA's recent advocacy in the South Australian Employment Tribunal, is a particularly significant outcome.
President Burns acknowledged the role of the state government in reaching the final outcome.
"To the government's credit, particularly the treasurer, these negotiations were constructive and conducted in good faith," he said.
"They listened to the case we put on behalf of our members and worked with us to reach a very strong outcome that will significantly improve the state's ability to attract and retain police into the future.
"I also believe this government understands the lessons from what has occurred in Victoria and the importance of securing a strong police force into the future."
President Burns said PASA members had been informed of the proposed agreement before its public announcement.
"Our members were always going to hear this news from their association first," he said.
"They perform one of the most important jobs in our community and they deserve employment conditions that properly reflect the responsibility, demands and value of the work they perform."
The proposed agreement remains subject to a vote of members and ratification in the South Australian Employment Tribunal.
