New South Wales Consolidated Acts

COMMUNITY SERVICES (COMPLAINTS, REVIEWS AND MONITORING) ACT 1993 - SECT 7

7 Appointment of Official Community Visitors

(1) The Minister may, on the recommendation of the Ombudsman, appoint an eligible person to be an Official Community Visitor for the purposes of this Act.

(2) An eligible person is one who, in the opinion of the Minister:

(a) has appropriate knowledge and expertise in the matters relating to community services in which the person would be most involved as an Official Community Visitor, and

(b) has a commitment to the objectives of the community welfare legislation, and

(c) has skills in the solving of problems about access to, and the use of, community services, and

(d) is not employed in the Department of Community Services, or the Ageing and Disability Department, as an officer or temporary employee within the meaning of the Public Sector Management Act 1988 .

(3) An Official Community Visitor holds office for such period not exceeding 3 years as is specified in his or her instrument of appointment but, if qualified, is eligible for appointment for consecutive terms of office totalling not more than 6 years.

(4) Part 2 of the Public Sector Management Act 1988 does not apply to or in respect of the Official Community Visitors and an Official Community Visitor is not subject to that Part.

(5) The Minister may at any time, on the recommendation of the Ombudsman, remove an Official Community Visitor from office on the ground of misbehaviour, incompetence or incapacity.

(6) Despite subsection (5), an Official Community Visitor who has a disability or a temporary disability (other than mental incapacity) may not be removed from office on the ground of incapacity unless the disability is such as to render the Official Community Visitor incapable of performing the functions of an Official Community Visitor.