Local MP Tim Bull has asked the Minister for Environment, Steve Dimopoulos, to specify the locations of the job losses within the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in East Gippsland.
The question in Parliament comes on the back of the media publishing Departmental documents stating 220 positions will be removed from DEECA, and staff at locations like Orbost, Swifts Creek, Heyfield and Nowa Nowa were told of the reductions.
“I have had family and community members contact my office from these areas, saying they’ve been told earlier this week there will be a reduction in positions,” Mr Bull said.
“In addition, I have also been advised some of these jobs will become ‘regional’ rather than local, and in other cases, staff have been offered to reapply for jobs with less pay.
“These are communities that have been hit by the timber industry closure and are townships the government said it would support.
“Also of concern is that some of these positions are Forest Fire Management workers, whose job it is to protect our community.
“We have a government that has slashed the CFA budget and has overseen a fuel reduction burning program that falls well short of keeping us safe – and now they cut our government fire positions.
“The benefits of fuel reduction burning are well documented and when you don’t do it, there cannot be any other outcome than a devastating fire. But then cut the CFA Budget and remove jobs from fire protection only worsens the problem,” he said.
“What I have asked the Minister is to specify how many jobs are going from East Gippsland, and from which offices.”
