Members would be aware that the MEG and Resources Regulator amalgamation has progressed with the offering of an expression of interest for Voluntary Redundancies.  This is always a double edged sword for the PSA as our advocacy is for jobs not redundancies especially for jobs that affect staff in regional settings.  However the PSA doesn’t stand in the way of staff making their own decisions on reform.

MEG has now provided the PSA with an Agency Change Management Plan where it is envisaged that there will be significant reform earmarked for the MEG and Resources Regulator staff that are left.

This is disappointing considering the amount of staff who have decided to leave the organisation through the Voluntary Redundancy Expression of Interest process as we say that this was an initiative to meet budget requirements.

The PSA has been informed that the EOI VR process had over 44 staff putting their hands up for consideration. This makes up a significant portion to the current workforce and places pressures on staff remaining to administer the necessary work to run the amalgamated agency.

There has been 24 staff who have been accepted for VR’s which is greatly concerning that so many current staff are choosing to leave MEG rather than work within the newly amalgamated agency.

The PSA was briefed on the proposed changes from the Chief Executive on Monday 6 September where MEG representatives took PSA industrial staff through the proposal as part of a prelude to consultation. Now that staff have been notified, consultation can begin in earnest.

The MEG Agency Change Management Plan has identified a significant amount of staff affected by the processes with the deletion of 28 current roles in the structures as well as significant reporting lines changes and a change in “Head Office” location from Maitland to Dubbo.

Whilst there are 31 positions that have been created in the proposed structure, there is currently very limited direct appointments.  There is also significant reporting lines and function responsibility changes that will affect staff and roles.

The PSA has already provided some initial concerns that relate to:

• The comparison of current roles and future roles and whether those comparisons were done using the current/up to date role descriptions and an understanding of roles that currently operate in MEG and the Resources Regulator.
• A period of two weeks for such major reform is not adequate consultation, and is simply not acceptable
• Being administered in the middle of a COVID outbreak where much of NSW is currently under some form of lockdown and the NSW jobs market is drying up.
• The movement of the head office to Dubbo and the ramifications for such potential movements of staff.

It is important that the PSA get information from members with respect to their concerns on the reform.  Look out for the PSA meeting notices for member consultation. Due to COVID these activities will need to take place via videoconference. Alternatively, members can contact the Industrial Officer Shane Howes  or the MEG PSA delegate Alex Love.