Senate Notice Paper Question No 43
Schedule Number: 100003		 Publication Date: 13 May 2008
Hansard: Pages 1625-7

Defence: Media

 Senator: Minchin

Senator Minchin asked the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, upon notice, on 12 February 2008:

As at 26 November 2007, with reference to the department and all agencies in the Minister’s portfolio:

  1. How many employees are engaged in positions responsible for public affairs, media management, liaison with the media and media monitoring.
  2. What are the responsibilities of these staff.
  3. What are the Australian Public Service classifications of these positions.
  4. For each of the financial years 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11, what is the current operating budget for these media-related sections within the department or agency.

Senator Faulkner - The Minister for Defence has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

  1. , (2) and (3)    The Defence Public Affairs Branch employs 62 civilian employees and 57 military employees.

    Responsibility Staffing
    Executive 1 x BRIG, 1 x COL
    1 x EL2, 1 x EL1, 1 x APS4
    Defence Service Newspapers 1 x WO2, 4 x CPL, 1 x LS
    1 x EL2, 4 x EL1, 4 x APS6, 1x APS5, 1xAPS4
    Communication Advisors 2 x EL2, 7 x EL1
    Defence Public Affairs Training 1 x EL1, 1 x APS6
    Media Engagement 1 x EL2, 2 x EL1, 3 x APS5/6, 5 x APS4/5
    Defence Internet 1 x APS6
    Video and Imagery Library 1 x EL1, 1 x APS4, 1 x APS3-4
    Military Public Affairs Preparedness and Plans 1 x LTCOL, 1 x MAJ
    Research, Planning and Entertainment Media Liaison 1 x EL2, 1 x APS6
    Regional Public Affairs 6 x EL1, 2 x APS6, 1 x APS3, 3 x APS2
    Military Headquarters Support 1 x WGCDR, 1 x LTCOL, 5 x MAJ, 2 x LEUT,
    2 x CAPT, 3 x FLTLT, 1 x LT
    Joint Public Affairs Unit covering photographers and reporters 1 x MAJ, 1 x WO, 2 x WO2, 5 x CAPT, 1 x LEUT,
    3 x SGT, 11 x CPL, 2 x LS, 2 x LT , 1 x FLTLT, 1 x AB, 1 x AC, 1 x PTE, 1 x APS4
    Administration Support 1 x APS6, 1 x APS5, 1 x APS4
    Secondment/ Leave 1 x EL2, 3 x EL1

    Key: BRIG: Brigadier, COL: Colonel, EL: Executive Level, APS: Australian Public Service, WO2: Warrant Officer Class 2, CPL: Corporal, LS: Leading Seaman, LTCOL: Lieutenant Colonel, MAJ: Major, WGCDR: Wing Commander, LEUT: Lieutenant (Navy), CAPT: Captain, FLTLT: Flight Lieutenant, LT: Lieutenant (Army), WO: Warrant Officer (Navy), SGT: Sergeant, AB: Able Seaman, AC: Aircraftman, PTE: Private

    Outside of the Branch there are a further 34 Defence employees who provide public affairs support as a part of their duties.

    Service/Group Public Affairs Responsibility Staffing
    Army Communications advice 1 x APS6
    Navy Public Affairs coordination and support.  The staff also provide reputation and event management support 1 x APS3, 1 x APS4, 1 x APS4/5, 1 x APS5, 2 x APS6, 1 x EL1, 1 x LCDR,
    2 x LEUT
    Air Force Public Affairs planning and implementation and media management. 2 x EL1
    1 x SQNLDR, 3 x FLTLT,
    3 x FLGOFF
    People Strategies and Policy Group Communications advice/management/support to Defence Force Recruiting Branch including public relations support to ADF recruiting marketing activities. 1 x EL1, 1 x APS6
    Chief Information Office Communication and customer management 1 x EL2
    Defence Science and Technology Organisation Australia wide coordination of Public Affairs, stakeholder relations, production of media items and online communications 1 x EL2, 4 x EL1, 3 x APS6
    DMO Strategic Communication Advice 1 x Acting EL2, 1 x APS6
    Joint Logistics Command Media monitoring, but majority of position (90per cent of workload) manages internal publications, branding, conference etc 1 x EL1

    Key: LCDR: Lieutenant Commander, SQNLDR: Squadron Leader, FLGOFF: Flying Officer

    Defence Housing Australia (DHA) has no specific staff members responsible for the stated functions.  DHA does have a Sales, Promotion and Communication Team, comprised of four staff members.  The team is responsible for advertising and marketing campaigns (for DHA’s sales and product promotion); customer and investor liaison and communication; managing DHA’s sales and promotion events; sales and product promotions for example, product and service information, and communicating with stakeholders, customers and investors.  There is relatively little day to day media interest in DHA’s activities, so an incidental proportion of the team’s time is involved in responding to media requests.
  2. $3.3 million in 2007-08 and $3.1 million in 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11.

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