The Victorian government will cut more than 130 positions from its bushfire forest service and close six regional locations, citing budget restraints. Sources: The Guardian, Timberbiz
A restructure document presented to staff on Wednesday outlined a “need to fit within a sustainable budget envelope” and to “refine our operating model”.
According to the document obtained by Guardian Australia, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s bushfire forest services group will be cut from 1,932 positions to 1,795.
Most jobs (47) will go from the forest fire operations unit, 33 will go from the conservation regulation division, 41 from infrastructure and resources and 16 from policy and planning.
Staff at Lysterfield, Wangaratta, Mount Beauty, Rainbow, Shepparton and Plenty Gorge will be transferred to other locations. Staff will only be based at Tidal River, Wonthaggi and Nelson seasonally.
The restructure was influenced, in part, by the transfer of the Parks Victoria fire program to the department in July 2023. Here’s how the document outlines the change:
We have not reviewed our whole operation model since 2017. We need to update our operating model and adjust to changed priorities, context, technologies and ways of working.
In September this year Timberbiz warned of job losses within the Bushfire and Forest Services Group stating that Premier Jacinta Allen was preparing to cut 208 staff across 99 regional sites. At that time, it was expected that staff numbers would be cut down to 1717.
These cuts will make it more difficult to deal with the inevitable bushfires that Victoria faces each year, especially in the summer months.
