Cost savings and ‘better service delivery’ will result for the Victorian Government following staff number reductions in management.

The Sustainable Government Initiative (SGI) received an update from the state government including reforms on workforce reduction.

Included in the reform is a 3600 public service workforce reduction as part of the budget update from last December.

An additional 600 positions were announced as part of the workforce reductions as part of the 2012-13 Budget.

Premier Ted Baillieu said the SGI does not apply to frontline service delivery roles.

Exemptions apply for specialist support staff to ensure skills critical to the operational needs of government are maintained, Mr Baillieu said.

He said progress was encouraging, showing the “significant savings already being made through careful management of the public service”.

“We are already seeing a managed reduction in back office and administrative positions, putting us on track to deliver our policy without impacting on frontline service delivery,” Mr Baillieu said.

According to Mr Baillieu, departments are working through the development of detailed implementation plans, which will receive consideration from government.

“Departments will continue this work through their VDP offers and their detailed implementation plans which will include the further reduction of around 600 positions in the public sector workforce as a result of the 2012-13 Budget announced in May,” Mr Baillieu said.

He said the SGI will be achieved over two years in administrative and back office roles through natural attrition, a freeze on recruitment, the lapsing of fixed term contracts and a Voluntary Departure Packages (VDP).

Treasurer Kim Wells said the government was prioritising investment to deliver “quality community services” in education, health and community safety.

Mr Wells said improving public transport and road infrastructure by reducing unnecessary head office and administrative expenditure in the bureaucracy would be a prioristised investment.

According to the Victorian Government, further improvements to Victorian public sector’s operations are being sought via the Better Services Implementation Taskforce.

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