Public Service Medal

The single award criterion is ‘outstanding public service’ which includes:

• service above and beyond the normal requirements of a position
• special achievement or success in the performance of duty in difficult or unusual circumstances
• sustained performance with a focus on outcomes and recognisable benefits to clients, the workplace or community.

Length of service should not be used as a basis for nominations.

The Public Service Medal:

• is open to current employees of the Australian, state, territory and local governments at any level, except for members of the defence force, police, fire, ambulance and emergency services who are eligible for comparable awards
• can be awarded to former public servants within 12 months of their retirement
• can only be awarded once to each recipient
• can be awarded to non-Australian citizens with agreement of the government of the country of citizenship (agreement sought by Governor-General’s office)
• can be awarded to recipients of the Order of Australia although at least 5 years should elapse between awards
• is not awarded posthumously.

Nominations must be submitted to the WA Public Service Medal Committee Secretariat by:

• 13 January (or following Monday if this falls on a weekend) for the King's Birthday honours list (June)
• 1 June for the Australia Day honours list (26 January).

Late nominations are not considered.

Nominations are considered by the WA Public Service Medal Committee which comprises:

• Public Sector Commissioner (chair, core member)
• Director General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (core member)
• Director General (agency rotated annually)
• Director General (agency rotated annually).

Rotating members of the committee are invited by the chair. Tenure of rotating members is for a period of one year with all members eligible for a second term.

The committee meets twice a year to assess nominations and recommend proposed recipients to the Premier. The Premier makes recommendations to the Governor-General who approves the awards.

The Honours Secretariat of Government House (Canberra) contacts proposed recipients to confirm acceptance of the award and arranges for announcement of the awards to appear in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Proposed recipients may decline the medal if they wish. After gazettal, recipient are notified by Government House of arrangements for them to receive their medal at an official ceremony.

To submit a nomination, please use the nomination form which contains further information.