Mark Speakman
NSW Leader of the Opposition
James Griffin
Shadow Minister for Energy, Climate Change and Environment
Staff from the Environment Protection Authority will walk off the job in Parramatta today in protest at the Minns Labor Government's plan to axe hundreds of roles.
The lunchtime protest sends a clear message. The people who test the water we drink, monitor air quality, and respond to asbestos and contamination are being thrown aside. These are the workers who protect NSW households every day, and now they are being treated as expendable.
Under Chris Minns the EPA faces $20 million in cuts and 370 roles delimited.
Labor said before the election that jobs were safe. The truth is the opposite. So many of our public sector people who believed Labor's promises have been duped.
The anger felt at today's protest reflects what is happening right across the public sector.
The government workforce feels betrayed and ignored. Morale has plummeted. Staff are burnt out and tired of being told everything is fine while their jobs disappear.
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said this is a government that talks about integrity but hides behind spin while gutting from our agency designed to protect the environment.
"When workers who protect our environment are walking off the job, you know Labor has lost control. Chris Minns has turned his back on the people who keep NSW safe," Mr Speakman said.
Shadow Minister for Energy, Climate Change and Environment said EPA culture was being destroyed, and staff were already looking for work elsewhere.
"EPA staff have contacted me sharing their concerns that these cuts will 'strip the organisation of experience and knowledge'. In the EPA staff members own words "you actually invested in us, Labor are cutting…" said Mr Griffin.
When the EPA is gutted, toxic sites go unchecked, pollution risks rise, and public safety is compromised. Labor's cuts aren't just reckless, they're dangerous.
This protest is a warning. The public sector is breaking under Labor's cuts, and the government is pretending not to notice.
