As members will be aware, the PSA and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) appeared before the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) earlier this week for further conciliation. To recap, on 20 November 2024, during the IRC Compulsory Conference, the Commissioner sharply criticised the EPA for failing to consult with the PSA before making decisions that impacted our members. You can read the previous bulletin sent to members HERE. As a result, the matter was postponed until Monday, 2 December, for further conciliation.

Key updates from conciliation earlier this week

1. Update on impacted employees

A total of 15 temporary employees are impacted. Here’s the current situation for each of them:

• 3 employees will have their contracts end on 7 January 2025
• 3 employees will continue working until the end of their current contracts
• 1 employee has successfully secured another role in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
• The remaining employees have received various extensions beyond 7 January 2025, with their contracts now expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2025.

The EPA has informed us it is working with DCCEEW to identify suitable roles that will allow these impacted members to continue their employment.

2. Vacancies on the Organisational Charts

At the IRC, the PSA raised grave concerns about the unacceptably high number of vacancies listed on the EPA’s organisational charts. In response, the EPA informed the Commission that these vacancies are unfunded positions, which remain on the establishment despite having no allocated funding. To rectify this issue, the EPA will need to update its establishment list.

Under the Commissioner’s prompting, the EPA has committed to reviewing this situation in 2025. The PSA will continue to monitor the issue.

3. How Roles Were Selected

The EPA has provided further details about the selection process for the impacted roles. They clarified that employees were not selected randomly. The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) worked closely with Directors to assess the risks associated with ceasing particular roles.

What this means for you

The PSA is closely monitoring this situation and will continue pushing for fairness and transparency. Our priorities moving forward include:

• Continuing to push the EPA to find alternative employment opportunities for affected employees.
• Ensuring the correction of unfunded vacancies on the organisational charts.

The PSA, alongside your delegates, fought to secure contract extensions and ensure that no member will face termination before 7 January 2025. This extension is not a concession granted by the EPA out of goodwill, but a direct result of the PSA’s determined intervention and unwavering advocacy on behalf of our members.