Finance Minister Paula Cox has tabled a bill to allow Police, Prison and Fire officers to work on until they are 60 rather than face mandatory retirement at 55.

And other civil servants can carry on until they are 70.

The Public Service Superannuation Amendment Bill 2007 was tabled on Friday and is likely to be debated in the next session. The crucial clause says the permission to work on must be sought from the relevant Commissioner or Chief Fire Officer.

All other public officers can continue in the civil service, with the permission of the head of the civil service, until the age of 70.

Prison Officers Association leader Craig Clarke welcomed the news that prison officers would be given a choice but he said there would have been opposition to any push to make everyone work until they were 60.

He indicated lower ranks might not want to stay on because of the stresses of the job but managers might be tempted to stick with it.