The Australian Services Union said WaterNSW's shock announcement today that it will cut hundreds of jobs will devastate hardworking staff, harm communities, and weaken the state's climate preparedness.
WaterNSW has announced it will cut around 300 jobs from its workforce of 1,200.
WaterNSW is a state-owned corporation responsible for managing and safeguarding the state's waterways and dams. It supplies bulk water to Sydney Water in the Sydney region and to local council water providers across regional NSW.
ASU NSW & ACT Secretary Angus McFarland said that today's announcement came without consultation and has been a terrible shock to the hundreds of workers and their families who will be impacted. It also puts at risk the environmental and water management delivered by the current specialist workforce, which has decades of unique expertise.
"This decision to cut hundreds of essential water jobs is a devastating blow to the workers and the communities they serve each and every day. It's outrageous that WaterNSW is slashing hundreds of jobs - about a third of its workforce - at a time when their expertise and labour has never been more essential," Mr McFarland said.
"The 300 workers who will lose their jobs are responsible for making sure our water supply is reliable and safe. They manage and maintain dams and other infrastructure to make sure water gets where it's needed - whether that's to communities, farms, or the environment.
"The people of NSW are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Floods are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, and it's the workers at WaterNSW who play a critical role in managing water flow and protecting communities as best they can.
"With climate impacts escalating, it's hard to see how a state-owned corporation can justify cutting the very jobs that protect our water and communities.
"Experts have warned that governments need to spend more, not less, on essential water infrastructure and services to improve resilience and mitigate impacts, yet hundreds of essential water workers are being let go.
"What plan does the state government have in place for the next inevitable flood? How can the state government expect to respond to the climate crisis challenges if critical capacity is stripped away?
"Claiming these cuts are about saving money doesn't add up. Gutting the workforce now will only cost the state more in the long run. Plus just last week, IPART gave WaterNSW permission to increase their prices by 10 per cent per year for the next three years.
"We are seeking urgent briefings with WaterNSW and the state government about these job cuts and will, like we always do, fight to support essential public sector jobs."
