Dr Nathan Church
The 2016 Defence White Paper, released on 25 February 2016, proposed
that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) grow to approximately 62,400 personnel by
2026, which the white paper notes is around 2,500 more than previously
projected.[1] This represents a 7.5 per
cent increase over the next decade from its size in 2015–16 (see Table 1).[2]
The 2016–17 Defence budget indicates that this target is certainly achievable,
with an immediate increase of 1,188 ADF personnel in 2016–17 ahead of smaller but
steady growth across the forward estimates.
Within the three services, many of the personnel increases
will involve the Navy and Army, accounting for almost 90 per cent of the ADF
growth out to 2020. This is possibly the result of the new, large-scale
capabilities going to these services, including Landing Helicopter Docks and
Air Warfare Destroyers for the Navy, and the extensive LAND 400 Program which
will rejuvenate the Army’s armoured fighting vehicles.[3]
Table 1: Defence workforce data 2011–12 to 2019–20
Average workforce full-time equivalents (FTE)
(APS = Australian Public Service)
|
2011–12
(actual)
|
2012–13
(actual)
|
2013–14
(actual)
|
2014–15
(actual)
|
2015–16
(estimated actual)
|
2016–17
(budget estimate)
|
2017–18
(forward estimate)
|
2018–19
(forward estimate)
|
2019–20
(forward estimate)
|
Navy
|
14,054
|
13,760
|
13,862
|
14,070
|
14,216
|
14,394
|
14,456
|
14,684
|
14,718
|
Army
|
29,697
|
28,928
|
28,568
|
29,366
|
29,640
|
30,430
|
30,891
|
30,907
|
30,966
|
Air Force
|
14,243
|
13,919
|
13,934
|
14,076
|
14,165
|
14,385
|
14,334
|
14,203
|
14,406
|
Total ADF
|
57,994
|
56,607
|
56,364
|
57,512
|
58,021
|
59,209
|
59,681
|
59,794
|
60,090
|
Change from prev. year
|
|
-1,387
|
-243
|
1,148
|
509
|
1,188
|
472
|
113
|
296
|
APS
|
21,818
|
21,534
|
20,496
|
19,342
|
18,100
|
17,950
|
18,200
|
18,200
|
18,200
|
Change from prev. year
|
|
-284
|
-1,038
|
-1,154
|
-1,242
|
-150
|
250
|
0
|
0
|
Total Defence
|
79,812
|
78,141
|
76,860
|
76,854
|
76,121
|
77,159
|
77,881
|
77,994
|
78,290
|
Change from prev. year
|
|
-1,671
|
-1,281
|
-6
|
-733
|
1,038
|
722
|
113
|
296
|
Source: Parliamentary Library
estimate based on data derived from Department of Defence, Annual
reports; Australian Government, Portfolio budget statements 2016–17: budget related
paper no. 1.4A: Defence Portfolio,
p. 25.
The size of Defence’s APS staffing level will continue to
decrease in 2016–17, though at a much reduced rate compared to the previous
three years. It is anticipated that the level of 17,950 APS employees in
2016–17 will be the low-point of staffing levels, with a stabilised rate of
18,200 personnel shown out to the forward estimates. This represents an
increase of the previous year’s Defence budget projections, which anticipated
an ongoing level of 17,800 APS employees.
Within the ongoing APS workforce of 18,200 personnel, the
2016 Defence White Paper indicated that 800 new positions would be created in
intelligence, space and cybersecurity, alongside 400 other new positions in IT
support, simulation, support to Navy engineering and logistics, security, force
design and analysis, and strategic and international policy.[4]
The Defence First Principles Review also proposed a
reduction in management roles that had a limited span of control, and
highlighted the fact that executive level APS officers often managed fewer than
three staff.[5] The 2016–17 Defence
budget shows that this reduction has commenced across APS executive level
staff, with almost 500 positions to be removed by the end of 2016–17. This
represents a reduction of almost eight per cent in two years and a third of the
total reduction in APS employees since 2014–15.[6]
[1].
Department of Defence (DoD), 2016
Defence White Paper, 25 February 2016, p. 146.
[2].
The budget figures in this brief have been taken from the following
document unless otherwise sourced: Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2016–17: budget related paper no. 1.4A: Defence Portfolio,
pp. 25–26.
[3].
Royal Australian Navy (RAN), ‘Amphibious Assault
Ship (LHD)’, RAN website; RAN, ‘Air Warfare Destroyer
(AWD)’, RAN website; Australian Army, ‘Project
LAND 400’, Australian Army website.
[4].
DoD, 2016 Defence White Paper, op. cit., p. 150.
[5].
Department of Defence, First
principles review: creating one defence, 1 April 2015, pp. 68, 60.
[6].
Australian Government, Portfolio
budget statements 2015–16: budget related paper no. 1.4A: Defence Portfolio,
p. 27.
All online articles accessed May 2016.
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