Community Services update for Northern NSW, Mid North Coast and New England
The quarterly Joint Consultative Committee meeting (JCC) was held on 27 June 2025 for Northern NSW, Mid North Coast and New England and was attended by the Public Service Association (PSA), your elected Delegates and Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) leadership. You can read the minutes HERE.
New flexible working policy
Since the last JCC, the PSA has been in discussion with District Executive as to what is Community Services definition of “frontline’ as per the new Flexible Work Policy. This information will now come down from Acting Deputy Secretary Lauren Dean at some stage.
In the meantime, nothing has changed regarding the Flexible Work Policy, members are entitled to Work from Home (WFH) and access their flexible work conditions. The PSA is aware that in this district there is a push to limit the number of excess hours that our members work and lose each flex period. The PSA agrees we don’t want our members to work excessive hours, however this should not be at the expense of your Flexible Work Conditions. Now is a timely reminder of your Flexible Work Conditions.
If a reasonable request to WFH or to access your Flexible Work Conditions is denied contact the PSA.
Section 91B responses
Since the start of the year the PSA has been raising this as a significant workload issue for Manager Casework (MCW) in this district. This is now a state issue and will be discussed at the state JCC. A working group has also been set up by DCJ to consider all interfaces with the family law court and provide options and solutions back to the Operational Executive Leadership group.
Delegates Paul Beeby and Louise Strange from our region have been asked to participate in this group. In the meantime, if you’re doing a response and it means you will lose hours then talk to your Manager Client Services and request overtime in advance. Members should not be losing hours due to these responses.
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development reform: change plans finalised, 228 jobs deleted
The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has decided to take little notice of the Public Service Association (PSA) proposals to reduce the bloated senior service reductions or the 655 temporary staff employed in the affected divisions. Instead it decided to cut 228 front line staff from its 10 Change Management Plans.
What does this mean?
The magnitude front line job deletion has provided the clearest of signals that the NSW Government is using this budgetary situation to slash the provision of research, development and assistance to primary industries and regional economies in NSW. When DPIRD says streamline, it should be recognised for what it is – gutting.
This reform does not lead to the delivery of world-class, on-farm science for NSW primary producers facing the harsh realities of climate change. It’s a development to the lowest common denominator of assistance.
It’s a pivot to policy because it’s cheaper.
It’s a shortsighted budgetary surrender and it’s at the expense of regional jobs and regional economies. It will hurt the state’s prestige of providing first-class, science-based outcomes and it will hurt primary producers.
The worst bit is that it could have been undertaken in a manner that would provide reassurance to primary industry, regional economies and a proper pivot towards new research and development proposals. DPIRD kept nearly all of the 159 senior executives and more than $60 million in temporary staff in the affected divisions. Science-based roles in the middle of operations in the field are being deleted. How can the agency claim that this won’t affect service?
This Government can no longer claim it supports the various research stations across the state. These locations are being left to die on the vine with the concern that these stations, starved of funds and staff, will become inefficient, ineffective and ripe for closure.
In the Research Assurance Division, the decision to delete 19 administrative jobs will mean more than 30,000 hours less support per year for those operations. This means the DPIRD has sought to build staggering inefficiencies into its operations. And that’s not the only division where administrative support has been slashed.
At a time when this Agriculture Minister stood up and said that services will not be affected and that is demonstrably false. Agronomists will lose their jobs, irrigation specialists will lose their jobs, researchers and research scientists will lose their jobs, technical and program experts will lose their jobs.
The PSA is left to ask what industry or tertiary body will readily enter partnerships with DPIRD knowing that the NSW Government is actively seeking to extricate its support for on-farm research and development?
Some deleted operations in the biosecurity space were the only ones in Australia assisting the NSW Police in animal and plant DNA analysis to bring criminals to justice.
There are 228 DPIRD staff today who have been told they don’t have a job, and only 96 who have the possibility of finding jobs in this reform. Many of those affected individuals are over 55 years of age, and have given more than 20 years of service to DPIRD.
What’s next?
Affected staff can provide an expression of interest (EOI) for the 96 proposed roles. Some will be part of the closed EOIs for roles at locations and grades, some will be expanded to roles across Change Plans.
Other staff will make their way into mobility pathways, where the agency seeks to find roles for staff in other public sector agencies. Where niche roles like meat scientists will find another role outside of DPIRD is anyone’s guess.
Job swaps
The PSA will provide support to members who wish to stay and those who wish to explore the options of mobility or voluntary redundancy. Those members should contact the PSA.
The PSA will not stop fighting and we will continue to condemn the Secretary and the Minister in their failure to protect this state’s agriculture and biosecurity.
Western Sydney University: join us online for a Reset Western update
Your union would like to thank you for the feedback and input you provided to the CPSU NSW in response to the Reset Western change plans which were collated and submitted to university.
The CPSU NSW met with the Vice-Chancellor on Thursday 25 September about your feedback and the process to date. Discussions took place around next steps for the changes and we reinforced the need for clarity and certainty throughout this process.
We maintain that the university must explore all alternative options possible to ensure that jobs are retained and only revert to forced redundancies as a last resort.
We would like to invite you to a members meeting to provide further information of Thursday’s meeting and hear from you.
Return to Work Inspectorate: transfer to SafeWork NSW
The PSA have been advised of an important change regarding the Return to Work (RTW) Inspectorate function.
From 24 November 2025, the RTW Inspectorate will transfer from the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) to SafeWork NSW.
This transition follows the establishment of SafeWork NSW as an independent regulator on 1 July 2025 and is designed to:
Streamline compliance and inspection functions under one agency,
Improve consistency across workplace inspections, and
Deliver better outcomes for workers and employers.
SIRA will continue to hold its legislated RTW responsibilities, while SafeWork NSW will oversee the inspectorate function through a new Return to Work Operations Team within its Operations & Enforcement division.
To assist members in understanding what this change means, we have attached a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, which provides further details about the transition process, timelines, and impacts. Find FAQ HERE.
The consultation period begins on 24 September 2025 and ends on 9 October 2025.
Members who have feedback or concerns please forward to and quote call number C10010505 or call 1800 772 679.
Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulation (DCCEEW – CPHR) and NPWS – consultation a shambles
The PSA met with members on Monday 22 September to discuss the proposed changes in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) – Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulation branch (CPHR). The proposed changes will establish a Conservation and Heritage Regulator, and restructure other parts of the branch, with impacts on staff from DCCEEW and National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The PSA have written to DCCEEW outlining serious concerns regarding the change management plan including missing role descriptions, staff identified against more than one role, the poor engagement, the conflation of the CPHR changes with the proposed amendments to the EP&A Act currently before Parliament, consultation occurring during the school holidays and that the current consultation timeframe is inadequate.
The PSA have requested an extension of the consultation period to ensure you are provided with clear and complete information regarding the changes that affect you, with enough time to provide a considered response.
If DCCEEW are unwilling to extend the consultation period the PSA will be looking at our industrial options.
Your feedback matters
The PSA is collating member feedback to provide a comprehensive submission.
All staff, not just those directly impacted are able to provide feedback.
Members are asked to provide feedback to HERE, or by contacting your local workplace delegates or your PSA organiser directly.
Know a non-member?
We’re stronger together. Organisational change doesn’t only impact PSA members. Consider joining to ensure you’re supported throughout the change process and beyond. Become a member today.
PSA officers and Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) Delegates took up an offer from NSW Arts Minister Graham to meet and discuss the impending announcement of the AGNSW restructure proposal on Wednesday 24 September 2025.
At the meeting also attending was the AGNSW Director Maud Page, Secretary of Department of Creative Institutions, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport (DCITHS), Elizabeth Mildwater and Chief People Officer Susan Stallan.
PSA representatives took the opportunity to put to the Minister, Departmental and Gallery representatives the importance of the AGNSW and the concerns as to the likely detrimental impact of the current proposal on the operations of the Gallery and most importantly staff.
The takeaway from this meeting is that there will be changes to the current proposal and that these details will be communicated to the PSA delegates and members next week.
The Minister is also keen to maintain current engagement with DCITHS delegates, particularly with the 2026 NSW State Budget planning which is already underway.
AGNSW consultation timeline
29 September PSA briefing by AGNSW at 9:00am
30 September-1 October AGNSW impacted staff to be contacted initially by email
The PSA has requested staff have an option of a support person or to meet as a team to discuss ongoing impact with line management.
2 October AGNSW all Staff Town Hall meeting with Director and AGNSW Executive
A PSA members’ meeting will be advised by way of a further meeting notice following the Town Hall briefing on 2 October.
For members’ ongoing industrial support your contacts are:
Planning reform announcements: one stop shop for planning
The NSW Government has announced a generational change to integrate the planning functions that exist across public sector agencies by seeking legislative amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the tabling of NSW Planning System Reforms Bill 2025.
Proposed amendments will include the establishment of the Development Coordination Authority (DCA).
Proposed creation of the Development Coordination Authority
The proposed establishment of the Development Coordination Authority is designed to simplify development application processes on behalf of all NSW Government agencies.
Operationally, it will involve the integration of many different current planning functions that exist in public sector agencies that administer elements of planning approvals. However, the extent to which the integration will impact staff remains unclear at present.
Change in Planning
The administration of new or amended legislation is nothing new for staff in Planning. However, it is the extent of the proposed reform that will involve internal change.
As for understanding the impact of change, it is far too early in the process for DPHI to have any proper level of detail on roles, structures and role descriptions to consult with the PSA over. There is no proposed reform that will reduce the number of current staff in planning and one thing is for certain, it is recognised by the PSA and DPHI there currently aren’t enough Planners.
Change In other NSW government agencies
The extent to how much DPHI intends to embed the functions administered by the other 22 public sector agencies will determine the amount of reform and affected staff.
In some emergency services agencies, staff who administer planning functions also administer Emergency Management operations or a myriad of other functions, so transfers or lifts-and-shifts of roles are an initial concern. Staff develop expertise in agencies because of their immersion in all details of the agency, not just simply those planning functions.
What now?
The PSA remains engaged with this issue and is meeting regularly with DPHI representatives as part of the obligations for consultation on the eventual workplace reform if the amended legislation is passed.
If you have any questions speak to your local workplace delegates or call the PSA Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679 and quote Case ID C10010486
New workplace delegates at Sydney Secondary College Balmain Campus
We welcome and congratulate you on the election of your new PSA workplace delegates, Joanne Manning and Suzan Evagelatos. Joanne and Suzan will serve as the primary liaison between your union and Sydney Secondary College Balmain Campus, ensuring members are well-informed about PSA news, updates, and benefits.
We are eager to collaborate with Joanne and Suzan and continue to negotiate better conditions for all our members.
If you have colleagues who haven’t yet joined our union, now is the perfect time to encourage them to become part of a strong and growing union that represents your interests at work.
Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure: PSA hybrid members’ meeting
You’re invited to connect, get informed, and have your say! Join your PSA Industrial Officer Shane Howes and Senior Organiser Anne Kennelly for a hybrid members’ meeting. The meeting will providing member updates, including the NSW Government’s Planning Reform announcement and how it might affect you.
Whether you’re working on-site or remotely, this is a great opportunity to:
Stay up to date on PSA campaigns and industrial matters
Get involved in with the PSA
Connect with fellow members and PSA staff.
Agenda
Welcome and introductions
Planning reform update
What we know
PSA’s engagement with management and government
How you can have input
Expressions of interest: Delegate training
General business and member Q&A
Hybrid meeting details
Date Thursday 9 October 2025
Time 12:30pm-1:30pm Location 4 PSQ, Level 16.07
Light lunch will be provided for those attending in person, so as at to assist with catering please RSVP.
The meeting will also be held online via Microsoft Teams. Join the meeting here Meeting ID 228 600 034 820 Passcode wF9xm6rX
Reminder: write to your MP to stop Professional Staff job cuts
Write to your MP
Our members play an integral role within universities, one that must not be drowned out by the voices and needs of academic staff: this is why it is vitally important that we raise the profile of Professional Staff with political representatives and leaders in NSW.
Your union, CPSU NSW has prepared a letter that you can use to raise your concerns with the federal Minister for Education the Hon. Jason Clare, State Minister for Tertiary Education the Hon. (Steve) Steven James Wahn, and your local state and federal MPs.
Actions like these can make all the difference – CLICK HERE to make your voice heard and raise the profile of professional staff cuts with political representatives.
Two easy things you can do to support your union:
Support the work of the CPSU NSW and delegates by asking your colleagues to JOIN their union.
If members you work with have not received this bulletin and are already members forward this bulletin to them and ask them to update their details through our MEMBER PORTAL
If you have any questions about this bulletin, please contact the Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679.
Contact your branch delegates:
Find up to date information on delegates at your university on the CPSU NSW website. CLICK HERE
Environment Protection Authority Wollongong: Agile working meeting
The PSA was contacted by members with concerns regarding the shift to agile working in the Wollongong office of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the change process and practical challenges to the intended implementation date.
The PSA wrote to the EPA based on this member feedback, and the EPA agreed to delay the implementation for a further two weeks.
Your PSA Organiser Michael Parsons will be visiting PSA members in the EPA Wollongong office tomorrow, Thursday 25 September, to discuss the changes and any further concerns.
Bring a non-member
Workplace changes don’t only affect PSA members. Non-members are encouraged to join today: we’re stronger together.
Details
Date Thursday, 25 September 2025 Time 12:00pm-12:30pm Location Level 3, Guru Room, 3/84 Crown St Wollongong
Michael will be making plans to visit members across EPA sites in the coming months. If you have a workplace issue which requires immediate support, please email or contact the PSA Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679.
