Minns Govt Offers NSW Police Officers Whopping Pay Rises Of Up To 39%

The Minns Labor Government has proposed a startlingly high pay rise proposition for NSW police officers, in retaliation to the Albanese Government’s proposed offer. 

The NSW police wage deal starkly contrasts Prime Minister Albanese’s proposed police wage plan, which would only increase the Australian Federal Police’s salary by 11.2% over the next three years, with exceptions made for allowances and sick leave. 

30k p.a. pay rises for NSW Police in Minns’ plan

The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) released a statement in which they outlined the specifics of Minns’ plan.

Under Minns’ plan, the salary for a level-three senior constable will increase from $107,600 to $146,600 by mid-2027, which makes for a total increase of $39,000.

The new pay offer would see all non-commissioned NSW Police officers receive increases of between 22.3% and 39.4% over the four-year period, said the Police Association of NSW.

The association said more than 10,000 officers would receive at least a 25%pay rise if the offer was accepted.

Minns’ plan also includes consolidated pay scales, which means a Constable will be able to reach the top level of Senior Constable within nine years, rather than fifteen.

The offer also promises the consolidation of pay scales for Senior Constables, Sergeants and Inspectors to remove overlapping pay scales, incentivise retention and to accelerate progression for current serving officers, update and improve allowances, and offering more flexibility to NSWPF to offer more part-time working arrangements. 

AFPA says Minns plan ‘stands in jarring contrast’ to federal govt’s plan

“The NSW police wage deal, which properly recognises and respects the contribution of police officers, stands in jarring contrast to the deal the Albanese Government wants AFP officers to accept, according to the Australian Federal Police Association,” the AFPA’s statement reads. 

The AFPA maintains that the Albanese Government’s offer was modelled and calibrated for the work of public servants, not operational police officers, forensic scientists and cyber experts. 

A historic wages offer to help retention & recruitment for NSW Police

The NSW Labor Government has provided a plan to instate a historic wages offer that will help with the overall retention and recruitment of officers. But Albanese’s plan remains unpopular to some. 

AFP Association President Alex Caruana said the difference in the deals was stunning. 

“When you look at the NSW deal it’s tough to see what the Albanese Government is offering AFP officers as anything short of blatant disrespect,” Mr Caruana said. 

“From a moral perspective the Albanese Government’s deal is clearly inadequate. AFP officers put their safety and health on the line dealing with the worst of humanity so the rest of us don’t have to worry about it. Paedophile rings, international drug trafficking, illegal arms dealers, murderous terrorists. AFP officers have to enter these dark worlds at risk to their physical and mental well being,

“The Albanese Government has dragged AFP officers through months and months of gruelling negotiation before deciding on a low ball offer. Unless they genuinely believe that AFP officers are nowhere near as important as state police then they need to do better.” 

If agreed to, Minns’ plan ensures that the state’s police officers will now have highly competitive salaries and incentive to stay within the force. 

The 4-year offer would be a $697.6 million investment in NSW Police. It is funded by reforms to police insurance, negotiated through the government’s mutual bargaining framework, the Police Association, and the NSW Government. 

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said, “This is a transformative, once-in-a-generation offer for NSW Police, made possible under Labor’s mutual gains bargaining policy.”

“We scrapped the wages cap and we’re getting pay moving for thousands of essential workers to help ease cost-of-living pressures,” said Mr. Mookhey.