Department of Industries – Move of Services – April 2019 (PDF version)

The PSA met with management recently on the 29 March 2018 to discuss the move of services to new buildings in Parramatta, Newcastle and Orange. Whilst some of the affected services are moving outside what was previously the Industry cluster we assume intended moves will continue as planned. We are currently working on a ‘business as usual’ approach.

One of the results of the recent meeting was the setting up of regular monthly meetings to discuss concerns and developments.

Key information from the last meeting is as follows –

• They are aiming at agile workplaces across the state with a network of offices recognising that a lot of people aren’t doing deskbound work.
• Whole of Government hubs will exist in Wollongong and Wagga in the future.
• Approximately 700 people will move from the Sydney CBD to Parramatta with about 200 remaining. Included in those who remain are Jobs for NSW staff and some staff from Liquor and Gaming (although the L&G staff who remain could move south we presume towards Wollongong in 2020).
• Most of the staff based at Newington will move to Parramatta with some moving to the Flemington Markets site.
• Bankstown Training Services remains where it is, as does Penrith Local Land Services and EMIA.
• Chatswood Training Services is intended to move to a North Sydney hub in 2024.
• Of offices moving together to form the Newcastle site. 40 people will move from Maitland. Management advised they would consider requests for swaps.
• 800 people will relocate as the current Orange office moves to its new site in Orange.

The following information stems from our discussions.

• Parking in Newcastle was already limited. There should be bike parking facilities including showers.
• Security in the sites will include turnstiles, CCTV and secure interview rooms with duress alarms.
• Work Stations – the PSA raised that members were very concerned regarding allocation of work stations and staff not having assigned desks. Management advised that observationally not 50 % of workstations were used on a given day. They advised that there would be no offices but there would be accessible rooms available where required. There would be neighbourhoods and teams would probably stay together.
• Management stated that there would be exceptions regarding assignment of desks citing “significant disability” as an example.

Teams would be expected to have their own conversations about how they position themselves.

• Ergonomic assessments would occur to determine the use of sit/stand desks
• Management stated they would conduct a survey to see how people feel impacted and advised they would share the results with the PSA.

Working From Home – we were advised that this would require approval and assessment but would be potentially available to anyone. In terms of decisions there would need to be a consistency of approach. The PSA remains concerned that that consistency may not be demonstrated.

• Self-assessment processes will be used for working from home but there will be a checklist.
• They advised there would be Parenting rooms and Cultural rooms.

We have our next meeting on 29 April. We urge you to provide the PSA with issues and we will continue to raise them. Management advised they would look at specific needs that may exist.