Housing Services: Western Sydney Joint Consultative Committee meeting
The first quarterly Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting for 2026 was held on 24 February for the Western Sydney district. PSA industrial staff attend these meetings with workplace delegates and district management.
JCCs are an important platform to address workplace concerns and members are encouraged to reach out to PSA delegates and staff about any workplace issues they would like raised at the meetings. They are an opportunity for members to speak out and ask any questions they may have about workplace rights. Please note only collective issues are discussed at JCCs. Individual matters are managed privately.
Key discussions on 24 February included:
Relocation of Parramatta office
Management said it has commenced consultation with staff at the Parramatta office about the relocation to 160 Marsden Street. The PSA was told that a working group would be formed, which would include a position for a PSA delegate, and that risk assessments would be done by the WHS project officer. The move is planned for the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.
The PSA is aware of member concerns around communication and change management. That key topic did not receive a favourable score in last year’s People Matters Employment Survey for Housing Services. The Western Sydney district did receive a noticeably higher score on that topic than other districts. To support change around the move, management said there would be a number of roadshows in March to discuss any concerns.
Members can also raise any issues directly with the PSA; speak with your workplace delegates or organiser.
Management said after consultation is approved, they would look at design.
There are no planned moves for the other offices in the district: Blacktown, Penrith or Mount Druitt.
Recruitment
Ongoing appointments are progressing from Grade 11/12 downwards, and to avoid unnecessary re-interviewing, direct appointments are made based on compliance with the Government Sector Employment Act 2013, role tenure and performance, management said.
The PSA raised member concerns in relation to video-recording being part of the interview process. Management said some recruiters choose to use it as an assessment tool but it doesn’t take the place of an interview panel.
Members often ask questions around recruitment, particularly in relation to opportunities to act up in higher roles. The department has a clear process around how to fill temporary vacancies of up to 26 weeks. If you are interested in acting up make sure you have it as a goal in your Personal Development Plan (PDP). If you have any questions about recruitment you’d like raised at the next JCC, please let your workplace delegates or organiser know.
Functional Review
A Functional Review evaluation will be done before the end of the financial year. Staff will get an opportunity to provide feedback on what went well and what didn’t. Management is aware that portfolio sizes will need to be reviewed to make sure they remain at under 300.
Work health and safety
The district continues to offer onsite Employee Assistance Program (EAP) support, management said. It is available fortnightly in Blacktown and Penrith, and weekly in Parramatta and Mount Druitt.
Management shared Safety Suite data for the quarter October to December 2025. The data highlighted that the primary risk area is client-related verbal abuse and threats and management said they are going to further address the issue at the March roadshows.
Members are reminded to report all incidents through Safety Suite. The PSA raised the issue of some members having their Safety Suite reports closed with no communication provided as to its outcome. Management said staff should escalate the report if the original matter is not addressed.
Members are also encouraged to know who the Health and Safety Representative (HSR) is in their office. HSRs are elected to represent you on work health and safety (WHS) issues in the workplace. They identify and resolve WHS matters, and can issue a provisional improvement notice (PIN) if they reasonably believe the WHS law has been broken. The PSA recently received approval from SafeWork to run HSR training for its members. Please get in touch with your PSA organiser for further information.
Psychosocial Action Plan
As discussed in last year’s Housing Service’s JCC, districts are expected to develop Psychosocial Action Plans to better manage psychosocial risks in the workplace. Management confirmed that the Western Sydney district’s plan is in the consultation stage with staff.
It’s important that members know about and understand the Psychosocial Action Plan as it will provide important information about psychosocial hazards such as role overload, workplace bullying, work-related violence and burnout. Under the new Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 workplaces ‘must implement control measures to eliminate psychosocial hazards so far as is reasonably practicable’.
The PSA would expect the Psychosocial Action Plan to comply with SafeWork’s Code of Practice.
The next JCC meeting is scheduled for May. Members are encouraged to share any workplace concerns they have with their workplace delegates or organiser. If you have any questions about your rights in the workplace, please get in touch.
Contacts
Member Support Centre
1800 772 679
Delegate
PSA Industrial Staff