Mr. Martin Callinan:

The roster itself is still in a pilot stage and that will extend for the coming months. It provides a facility of ten-hour shifts. There was a need to create an additional shift, and as a result we have now gone to five shifts as opposed to four in the previous regime. The degree of flexibility it affords to us on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays is something we think will address the work-life balance and at the same time satisfy supply with demands in terms of the commitments we have to policing the public.

We believe it is satisfactory. The feedback so far is quite positive. There are some areas of concern, particularly in the plain-clothes departments where there are some issues arising. We hope, in the context of the negotiations with the associations, to be able to straighten them out within the lifetime of the pilot. Overall, it is proving to be quite satisfactory and cost neutral.