Excess ACT public servants could be retrenched if they cannot be redeployed as the government looks for savings over the next four years.
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The government will ask directorates to find savings, but will swell its workforce of public servants this year, ACT budget papers show.
Full time government staff will grow about one per cent to 20,365 in 2017-18 as it recruits for the expansion of its ambitious light rail project and employs school assistants and more police.
Growth in the ACT public service will comes as the government watches for threats to Canberra's economy from the Commonwealth's bid to move federal public servants to the regions.
Despite growing ACTPS staff numbers, the government will look to find new positions for staff with defunct roles, and public servants it cannot redeploy could be made redundant as it tries to find savings.
The government expects to spend about $350,000 next year looking for more savings.
The Justice and Community Safety Directorate will also have to find $4.9 million in savings over the next four years including $750,000 next year, less than 0.3 per cent of its funding in 2017-18.
JACS is expected to restrict spending on contractors, staff travel and office supplies to find the money, while a new ICT system will also reap the directorate savings and could change its staffing.
The Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate will look for savings of $5.25 million by adjusting service levels, and will use customer feedback to decide cuts.
Full-time employees will grow at the ACTPS as it hires school assistants, school psychologists, more police and firefighters, and staff for its Rapid Bus Network.
Government staff numbers are expected to grow by 584 or 3 per cent on 2015-16 levels next year.
Meanwhile ACTPS staff will hot desk in 'flexible' office spaces as the government tries to make them more mobile and fits out two new office buildings in Civic and Dickson, expected to reduce rent and operating costs.
The ACT government wants to use the savings for ICT spending, and will upgrade its IT infrastructure and spend on data analytics in a bid to improve directorates' advice to ministers.
Spending cuts and a possible hit to Canberra's APS workforce as the federal government pursues its controversial decentralisation agenda risk the ACT's economic growth, the government said.
While the APS had supported the ACT's growth by lifting its hiring freeze in July 2015, its marathon bargaining disputes added uncertainty to Canberra's wages outlook.
