The PSA met with the EPA’s Management on 16 April 2020, wherein the PSA raised the key issues members had surrounding the EPA restructure. These issues included:

• Lack of JSAs and the EPA’s consistent disregard for them
• Lack of clear reporting lines and managers for some staff
• Lack of clarity around the role of the Co-Ordination Unit
• Boundary issues, particularly those caused by not aligning with Local Government Areas
• The timing of the restructure, which comes in the middle of a global pandemic, following significant disruptions due to bushfires and the relocation to 4 Parramatta Square
• Questions surrounding the EPA board’s role in this restructure
• Vacancies and the process EPA should have in place to fill them, including redeployment.

The EPA’s response demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of PSA members’ concerns. The PSA wrote to the EPA on 1 May 2020 seeking clarification on a number of outstanding and further areas of concern as set out below:

1. Is the twin supervisor’s theory proposed for Regional Operations going to be for all of the EPA?
2. What are the supervision and work allocations going to be in the other EPA Silos?
3. Who will advise staff outside of Regional Operations and when will staff be informed?
4. Where is the geographical overlay? Is it documented? What are the proposed new boundaries for After Hours Incident Service? What is the time frame and the error introduction?
5. The equity of work load issue: it appears only some Metro Unit heads are required to have more than seven reports. Why is this and when will this issue be addressed, given not even one Director had above seven reports and many were below that number?
6. PSA members have inquired how licences and other regulated premises are going to be divided up. Please provide detailed information as to what process is going to be used.
7. The EPA has advised an implementation date to commence on 30 June 2020 with no further detail. Would you please provide detailed information.

While the EPA has consistently failed to understand or appreciate the significant issues that its own workers are raising with them, the PSA was pleased to hear that the EPA has appointed an experienced EPA person to drive the EPA realignment transition. The PSA is hopeful that with this appointment that it will be more transparent moving forward.

The PSA will be holding a Microsoft Teams meeting on Thursday 7 May, at 12:00pm to discuss continuing concerns regarding the restructure, details are below.

+61 2 8318 0003
Conference ID: 142 282 760#