Issues facing the National Parks and Wildlife Service
On 13 June 2019 it was brought to the attention of the PSA, during a JCC meeting, that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was to become a stand-alone agency under a Band 3 Chief Executive Officer. This change will affect our way of doing business with NPWS and will create a more autonomous organisation.
NPWS currently employs 1,780 permanent staff with 68 additional staff currently being recruited, equating to a nine per cent vacancy rate at this point in time. The vacancy rate is usually six per cent. A number of Project Manager roles are to be recruited over the next four years to manage a capital allocation of $640,000,000.
In respect of Ranger vacancies, these vacancies will be recruited individually on a needs basis, in accordance with local requirements (as identified in organisational charts). If you know of such a vacancy not being filled, please advise your local PSA delegate or, alternatively, PSA industrial staff.
At the recent Rangers Forum there were 205 Rangers in attendance. The general consensus was that it was a resounding success. Forums will be arranged for Field Officers on a Branch basis, that is, eight for the State (there are currently 880 Field Staff in the new structure). There are currently 1,400 staff in Field Operations and 220 Rangers based across the state. Issues with Discovery Rangers are yet to be resolved.
On 5 April 2019 the PSA made application to intervene in a dispute between the AWU and OEH regarding the Field Officers Grade 1/2 classification and the definition of ‘heavy plant’.
The PSA’s intervention application was at that time dismissed and the PSA was advised that if the matter proceeded to hearing, the PSA could make an intervention application at that point.
On 7 June 2019 when the matter was again before the Commission, the PSA made a further intervention application. This further application was accepted by the Commission and the matter was given a five-day hearing commencing in November 2019.
UNITY AND MEMBERSHIP = STRENGTH !
Your PSA staff
WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Ask a work colleague to join the PSA.
- Distribute this bulletin to colleagues.
- Set up a workplace meeting to discuss matters important to you.
- Get involved and become an active PSA member.