Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulation (DCCEEW – CPHR) change on the horizon

The PSA has received a number of reports from concerned members of changes being introduced in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water – Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulation branch without following proper consultation procedures. The PSA requested an urgent meeting with management and PSA Industrial staff met with DCCEEW management Thursday 28 August.

Management assured the PSA that staff were being engaged as part of a co-design process, and a proposed structure has not yet been developed. This co-design process was adopted in response to staff feedback in PMES results where staff expressed a desire to be involved sooner and more openly in the change process. DCCEEW management acknowledged some of the some of the language used for these co-design sessions was unclear.

DCCEEW management outlined a timeframe for formal consultation to likely begin mid-September 2025 and committed to meeting weekly if needed to discuss member concerns.

DCCEEW management are aware of their consultation obligations. The PSA was clear, if management fail to act in accordance with those obligations, the PSA will consider the industrial options available to us.

Keep an eye out

Over the coming weeks the PSA and our members will be asked to provide feedback on a change management plan. The PSA will be holding members’ meetings. You are the experts in your work. You understand the issues you deal with on the coalface, the obstacles you face, and the things that enable you to work effectively.

Know a non-member?

We’re stronger together. Organisational change doesn’t only impact PSA members. Consider joining to ensure you’re supported throughout the change process and beyond. Become a member today.

Contacts

PSA Delegates

Conservation Programs, Heritage, and Regulation

Erika Roper

Catherine Ellis

Samantha Altmann

Daniel Cain

Katrina Stankowski

Stephen Lewer

Paul Childs

Water Group, Dam Safety

Cameron Ellis

James Gillespie

PSA Staff

Michael Parsons
Organiser

Mick Sinclair
Industrial Officer

NAIDOC Week 2024: Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud – Sunday 7 – Sunday 14 July 2024

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia annually to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by all Australians. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Find out what is going on this NAIDOC Week HERE. And also PSA member, and National NAIDOC Committee member Erica Smits talks about NAIDOC Week 2024 HERE.

If you are a public servant worker and identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you are entitled to a day off to participate in NAIDOC celebrations. The Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009 provides for the following leave arrangements:

Special Leave

84.9 A staff member who identifies as an Indigenous Australian shall be granted up to one day special leave per year to enable the staff member to participate in the National Aborigines and Islander Day of Commemoration Celebrations. Leave can be taken at any time during NAIDOC week, or in the weeks leading up to and after NAIDOC week as negotiated between the supervisor and staff member.

If you are having difficulty accessing leave, or would like advice on any other workplace issue, please remember, the PSA CPSU NSW is YOUR UNION and we are here to help. Contact your local delegate or the Member Support Centre, for assistance – 1800 772 679 or via email

The Coffee is on Us!

After the wonderful response to the May Coffee Morning, we are very excited to see you all again on Tuesday 25 June for our monthly coffee catch up! This will give members from a range of agencies the opportunity to catch up over a coffee, tea or hot chocolate, which is free for PSA members who work at 4 and 6 Parramatta Square (PSQ). PSA staff, that represent a wide range of agencies, will be on hand to discuss any issues or concerns you may have.

A representative from Australian Mutual Bank, along with a representative from Wage Cover, will be in attendance for members. This is a great chance to chat with them in an informal setting.

Date: Tuesday 25 June 2024

Time: 10-11am

Place: Chambers Fine Coffee, 1 Parramatta Square Parramatta, which is adjacent to Western Sydney University entrance off the Square, diagonally across from 4 and 6 PSQ

Coffee will be free for PSA members, but we are more than happy to talk to people interested in joining the PSA, too. Bring a colleague along with you and come and say hello.

Save the date for the next Workplace Group meeting on 9 July at 12.30pm, a reminder will be sent at a later date.

Michael Daley letter concerning Biodiversity and native veg

OEH and NPWS restructure update

OEH and NPWS restructure update – September 2017 (PDF version)

OEH were back before the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) on Thursday 31 August regarding the NPWS restructure. The PSA again raised concerns regarding the lack of consultation and information regarding the restructure.

During our last appearance, OEH agreed to provide the current and proposed area establishment. Unfortunately this was not provided. OEH stated they could not provide this information as there are over 400 movements within National Parks each year and it is very difficult to keep track of.

The IRC advised OEH that the PSA was not seeking the names of the staff that held these roles, but the actual roles. On that basis OEH are to provide the PSA with the current area establishments.

The PSA also raised concerns regarding boundaries, stating PSA delegates believe 35 boundaries are unmanageable. However, our feedback had found that 40 would be more manageable. The PSA also put to the IRC that the only way an agreement could be reached on boundary changes was if PSA delegates and Park Operations management met without industrial involvement and looked at the boundaries collectively and come to an agreement.

The IRC agreed and advised a meeting should be scheduled within the next week with PSA delegates and Park Operations management.

The PSA again raised concerns with the accuracy of the Role Descriptions including the reclassification to Clerk grades, challenging the matter expert who developed and evaluated the Role Descriptions without consulting the PSA or broader membership for input. The IRC advised that this matter would be dealt with separately.

OEH stated the fire season was due to commence and therefore the restructure needed to be carried out reasonably quickly. The IRC stated that OEH were still required to engage in proper consultation with the PSA.

In addition to actions in the IRC, questions about the current restructure were raised in Parliamentary Budget Estimates on Friday 1 September by Penny Sharpe, Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage.

Amongst other things, Ms Sharpe questioned the current Minister for Environment, Gabrielle Upton, about funding cuts to NPWS, the loss of 246 full time staff since 2016, and the reclassification or downgrading of jobs in the current restructure.

Whilst the responses were underwhelming, PSA members can be assured that the issues in the current restructure are being progressed in the Parliament as well as the IRC.

To summarise, these are the next steps in ongoing consultation around the restructure:

PSA delegates and Park Operations Management will sit down collectively after the JCC on Wednesday 6 September and Thursday 7 September and try to come to a landing regarding boundaries
The PSA will then look at the Role Descriptions which have been affected by downgrading or being deleted
The PSA will continue workplace visits to engage the membership
Whilst continuing consultation, any action in relation to the reclassification of roles will be undertaken separately
OEH to provide an up-to-date Change Management Plan.

Office of Environment and Heritage member bulletin

Office of Environment and Heritage member bulletin – August 2017 (PDF version)

On Monday 14 August 2017, the PSA Organiser for OEH, Latu Sailosi and the PSA Delegate for Heritage Division (HD), Stuart Read, attended a consultative meeting with Pauline McKenzie, Executive Director HD, on the Heritage in Transition (HiT) restructure proposal.

The PSA raised a number of key members concerns:

designated Aboriginal roles are identified in the organisational structure before recruitment/assessment action commence

reduction in the number of EO 14 (4 to 3) positions/roles will have direct impacts on existing staff at grade and a cascading effect on staff below (esp. EO 14 position)

a planned mitigation – i.e. managed approach is adopted to dampen negative impacts such as workload issues – is built into the restructure plan

completed Role Descriptions are provided to the PSA and to staff before recruitment/assessment action commence

an appeal/review process is included, to provide an opportunity for unsuccessful recruitment/assessment outcomes and individual grievances to be reviewed

Heritage Division will provide an opportunity for incumbent staff with capability, skill, and experience gaps to meet the requirements of the new roles with ongoing training and development for a defined period, where possible.

We can report Ms Mckenzie is favourable to the majority of the concerns raised by the PSA, although it remained unmoved on its decision not to identify the designated Aboriginal roles in the structure before recruitment/assessment action commences.

The PSA understands Ms Mckenzie has invited all Heritage Division staff to attend a number of briefings next week on the HiT processes and time frames. The first meeting will be on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 August 2017 at the Heritage Division’s Parramatta office. This will be followed by a HiT staff brieffing in Dubbo, on Wednesday 23 August, and a HiT briefing to staff on, Thursday 24 at Queanbeyan.

PSA Organiser, Latu Sailosi will attend Mondays HiT briefing at Parramatta

PSA Delegate, Stuart Read will attend Tuesdays HiT briefing at Parramatta

PSA Regional Organiser, Belinda Pearce will attend HiT briefing at Dubbo

PSA will be unable to attend the Queanbeyan staff briefing. (Members can still provide comments, issues and concerns to Stuart Read: read@environment.nsw.gov.au and Latu Sailosi: .

The PSA’s role, throughout these consultative meetings, has been to strongly advocate for our members and compel HD, where possible, to ensure staff are provided adequate information, adequate safety nets for affected staff and mitigate against problems which may impact staff in the new structure.

As you may be aware, Heritage Division has the right to reorganise the organisation to align with the Government’s priorities and business function. As with most restructures, some positions/roles have been directly affected (redundant) to the organisations programs and priorities. Similarly, new roles will be created to reflect new programs and operations.

The PSA welcomes all members wishing to raise issues and concerns to do so by email contact with Stuart Read and Latu Sailosi.

Lastly, it is important we work together and maintain the effectiveness of our position by ensuring all Heritage staff are members of the PSA so we are more able to collectively negotiate favourable outcomes. Join the PSA and fight to maintain your work rights!

OEH and NPWS – Non-Executive Employees’ Transition Update

NPWS Non-Executive Employees Transition Update – August 2017 (PDF version)

As advised in our previous bulletin, the PSA lodged a dispute in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) regarding the future NPWS non-executive employees’ transition. The PSA and a number of delegates appeared in the IRC on Monday 7 August.

The PSA could clearly demonstrate NPWS had not provided the PSA with relevant information required to engage in proper consultation, such as the number of roles directly and indirectly affected, work locations, recruitment pool design, employment options, status of roles, accurate role descriptions and variations to classifications.

Chief Commissioner Kite supported the PSA’s position, stating consultation could take one week, two weeks, one month or one year. Therefore he would not put a timeframe on the consultation process.

However, the PSA has agreed to meet with OEH management this week. OEH is to provide all documentation the PSA has been requesting to engage in meaningful consultation, including detail on current and proposed structures, recruitment pool design and process, number of roles affected, locations and classifications.

Whilst we appreciate the anxiety of members in this time of change and their need to have some certainty moving forward, the PSA is committed to ensure that we obtain the best outcome for all members. This may take some additional time. However, this will hopefully ensure that we minimise the impact of this restructure on members.

The PSA will continue to engage all our membership seeking feedback to influence this change management plan.

Could you please provide feedback to the following email or your NPWS delegates:

Steve Carter
Ben Owers
Alex Deura
Janet Cavanaugh
Alexandra Wyatt
George Malolakis
John Holcombe
Ken England
Kim De Govrik
Peter Clark
Tegan Burton
Anita Zubovic
Sarah Sabil
Trish Swain
Martin Smith

National Parks and Wildlife Service member bulletin

National Parks and Wildlife Service member bulletin – August 2017 (PDF version)

The PSA lodged a dispute in the NSW Industrial Relation Commission that has been listed for conciliation before Chief Commissioner Kite on 7 August 2017.

The PSA was advised there would be a number of boundary changes with a reduction of National Park areas from 50 to 35. The dispute is based on the PSA not being fully advised on the scope of this restructure. Your union does not believe four weeks is adequate to engage in proper consultation to address the complexity of what the PSA views as 35 restructures running concurrently.

The PSA has concerns with the inconsistencies in the role descriptions and questions the subject matter experts who evaluated 355 roles and proposed to reduce to these to 130 role descriptions. This will affect most classifications employed across NSW National Parks.

The PSA met with OEH Management Tuesday, 1 August 2017 regarding the proposed restructures.

The PSA raised concerns about the incorrect information being given to some staff in relation to their job security and has asked for all correspondence to staff to cease until such time as the consultation has concluded. Inconsistency in some information given to members has only led to confusion and anxiety within the ranks. The Department has a responsibility to ensure the welfare of its employees.

The PSA has again been advised the 35 areas that have been designed by the NPWS Future Parks team are “not set in stone”. NPWS is seeking genuine feedback from staff.

The PSA again raised concerns with the EOI process being applied when filling ongoing roles.

We call on YOU to support the PSA by providing information on how the Proposed Future NPWS model will impact, YOU, YOUR COMMUNITY and Programs.

The PSA is committed to supporting all members in all classifications throughout NSW National Parks and would like to remind our membership that this is a difficult period for everyone involved. We encourage all members to support each other and the PSA through this process.

Could you please provide feedback to the following email or your NPS delegates listed below:

Steve Carter
Ben Owers
Alex Deura
Janet Cavanaugh
Alexandra Wyatt
George Malolakis
John Holcombe
Ken England
Kim De Govrik
Peter Clark
Tegan Burton
Anita Zubovic
Sarah Sabil
Trish Swain
Martin Smith

National Parks and Wildlife Service member bulletin

National Parks and Wildlife Service member bulletin – July 2017 (PDF version)

The PSA attended a briefing on 18 July 2017, regarding Future NPWS. At no stage during the briefing was the PSA advised of the full extent of the proposed Future NPWS restructure, nor the roles that would be directly impacted. This information was provided to the PSA via its members.

The PSA wrote to Mr Michael Wright on 20 July 2017, seeking an extension to the consultation period due to the lack of information initially provided to the PSA and the enormity of the proposed changes. The initial period for consultation was three weeks. The PSA met again with NPWS on 26 July 2017 and was given an additional week for the consultation process.

The PSA does not accept an additional week is an appropriate time frame, due to the excessive number of roles and role descriptions that have been proposed for inclusion/change in the proposed new structure. Your union believes the consultation period for this major proposed restructure should be open-ended. This will enable a thorough evaluation by the PSA and its members.

The PSA is of the view the majority of roles that have been proposed to be regraded undervalue the core functions and the skill level required. As a result of this proposal, members will not receive the appropriate remuneration.

The PSA is opposed to EOIs being required to any ongoing roles.

Other concerns are:

the lack of consistency across the state of some roles

how role descriptions have been developed and evaluated

the validity of these roles where roles already exist.

The Department has given a commitment to review aspects of the proposed Future NPWS in consultation with the PSA.

The PSA will be continuing to consult with all members of NPWS and encourage all staff of the Department to assist the PSA in ensuring the security and sustainability of NPWS jobs.

Could you please provide feedback to the following email or your NPS delegates:

Steve Carter
Ben Owers
Alex Deura
Janet Cavanaugh
Alexandra Wyatt
George Malolakis
John Holcombe
Ken England
Kim De Govrik
Peter Clark
Tegan Burton
Anita Zubovic
Sarah Sabil
Trish Swain
Martin Smith

Office of Environment and Heritage member update

Office of Environment and Heritage member update – June 2017 (PDF version)

At the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) Joint Consultative Committee Meeting held on 14 June 2017, the PSA raised concerns with SAP payroll being rolled out prematurely. The PSA had been advised an OEH cluster of around 5000 staff were not ready for the migration of Aurion to SAP due to the complexity of information being transferred from Aurion.

The PSA wrote to OEH on 19 June raising further concerns regarding the SAP rollout, identifying a large number of issues including payments, terminations, new starters, superannuation, payroll transactions, leave balances, and payslip modules.

An urgent meeting was convened 20 June with the SAP Project Team Management, OEH Senior Management and the PSA, where the PSA advised OEH management that if issues with SAP continued after the transition the parties would be in dispute.

The PSA was given a commitment by SAP Program Management and OEH Senior Management that if the issues identified by the PSA were not completely ironed out the transition would be held back a month.

As the PSA suspected, OEH has confirmed that key aspects of the transition were not ready for the planned transition date of 3 July.

The PSA has now been advised the transition from Aurion to SAP will take effect on Friday 28 July 2017 in order to minimise disruption to staff. The above deferment of the transition is testament to the effectiveness of PSA representation through JCCs, and effective consultation from OEH management.

National Parks 50th triumph – The Land

The recent 50^th year celebrations of the National Parks and Wildlife Service have been featured in The Land.

View the article HERE.

Office of Environment and Heritage member bulletin

Office of Environment and Heritage member bulletin – June 2017 (PDF version)

Members will be aware OEH has sent out a communication to staff regarding its proposed changes to the current NPWS Award.

This communication confirmed that OEH is seeking to implement a hard barrier to limit the progression of Rangers, as well as automatically making any new position a Mon-Fri role, with no loading. As a “reward” for accepting these reduced Award conditions, OEH has promised the following:

OEH has acknowledged that when current Rangers are reclassified, there is no guarantee that it will be in the same location. Being reclassified to the same grade has no advantage if your job has been relocated and you do not wish to move.

OEH has reversed its previous position and “generously” allowed you to keep your current degree requirement.

The PSA will be given the opportunity to be “engaged on the development of role descriptions” for new Ranger classifications, but only AFTER agreeing to reclassify Rangers.

Current temporary Rangers will be placed below the hard barrier with no loading, regardless of current grade. This will mean a reduction in salary for temporary rangers currently at Grade 2, 1st Year of at least $18,222 per year. For a temporary Ranger currently at Grade 2 4th year it represents a pay cut of at least $30,115 per year.

OEH would retain “competency”-based incremental progression below the hard barrier. As OEH has stated that 70 per cent of Rangers are currently at the top of the classification structure, and any new position will come in below the hard barrier, the number of Ranger Grade 2s receiving yearly increments will be extremely limited.

An offer of voluntary redundancies to all ongoing Rangers. Whilst OEH have committed to “offering” VRs, they have not committed to “accepting and approving” VRs.

OEH promise to re-invest the equivalent salary sum of VRs in new Mon-Fri Ranger Grade 1 roles, but this is limited by the number of VRs that are “accepted” by OEH. In addition, as there is no promise to replace specific positions that are made redundant, there is no promise that the extra resources will be allocated to the same area. This promise comes after seven years of cuts to Rangers, resulting in a reduction of 91 FTP Ranger positions.

OEH will establish eight trainee Ranger roles, something they have the ability to do without any Award variation.

The ability for future roles to be converted from Mon-Fri Role to seven-day roster positions only after Executive Director approval. The current Award enshrines seven-day roster positions as the normal, with the ability for OEH to convert positions to Mon-Fri, after negotiation with the PSA through review committees.

Whilst OEH would have you believe the above is a good deal, an examination of exactly what is offered suggests otherwise. The PSA believes the proposal is nothing more than an offer to cut pay and conditions and further devalue Rangers and the important role they provide. Whilst the above proposal targets Rangers, if conditions are varied for one classification it is only a matter of time until they vary other classifications.

OEH has asked staff to comment on its proposed changes to the Award by emailing by Friday 7 July. The PSA encourages members to respectfully let OEH know what they think of the above “deal”. You can also provide feedback to the PSA and we will ensure it is passed on.

Member Support Centre 1800 772 679

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Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulation (DCCEEW – CPHR) change on the horizon

Contacts

Recent News

NAIDOC Week 2024: Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud – Sunday 7 – Sunday 14 July 2024

Recent News

The Coffee is on Us!

Date: Tuesday 25 June 2024

Time: 10-11am

Place: Chambers Fine Coffee, 1 Parramatta Square Parramatta, which is adjacent to Western Sydney University entrance off the Square, diagonally across from 4 and 6 PSQ

Recent News

Michael Daley letter concerning Biodiversity and native veg

Recent News

OEH and NPWS restructure update

Recent News

Office of Environment and Heritage member bulletin

Recent News

OEH and NPWS – Non-Executive Employees’ Transition Update

Recent News

National Parks and Wildlife Service member bulletin

Recent News

National Parks and Wildlife Service member bulletin

Recent News

Office of Environment and Heritage member update

Recent News

National Parks 50th triumph – The Land

Recent News

Office of Environment and Heritage member bulletin

Recent News

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