Public Service initiative supported, but …
The NSW Labor Government’s plan to entice public servants to regional areas with an annual $5000 bonus and home buying help does not go far enough to address falling regional staff numbers, Shadow Minister for Regional Development Don Page said today.
Mr Page said that while he supported the initiative, the NSW Government needed to be more proactive and decentralise Government departments out of metropolitan areas and into regional NSW.
“The NSW Liberal/Nationals Coalition will relocate suitable Government departments to regional NSW. Candidates include State Forests, National Parks and Wildlife, the Rural Fire Service and the Department of Regional Development,” Mr Page said.
“During the previous Coalition Government, we relocated the Department of Agriculture to Orange and it has been an incredibly successful move.
“The decentralisation of Government departments out of Sydney not only provides jobs in regional areas, but also betters the connection between the Government and the people it serves.
“While the Government’s $5000 annual bonus at the end of each year of service, assistance to buy or rent and other financial support is a step in the right direction, the relocation of Government departments would go a lot further to addressing a shortage of public servants in regional areas.”
