The Rockliff Government’s decision to scrap the Department of State Growth and cut 250 public service jobs is reckless, deeply contradictory and will cause real harm to workers, public services and the Tasmanian economy says the CPSU – the union for public sector workers.
This announcement comes at a time when public servants are already facing ongoing uncertainty, rising cost‑of‑living pressures, and a government that has failed to deliver fair and timely wage and conditions increases.
Instead of fixing stalled bargaining and valuing the workforce that keeps Tasmania running, the government has chosen to dismantle a key public service agency and axe hundreds of jobs.
CPSU General Secretary Thirza White said the decision showed a disturbing lack of regard for workers and the services they provide.
“This announcement will cause enormous anxiety for 250 workers and their families, and it will inevitably impact the quality and capacity of public services Tasmanians rely on,” Ms White said.
“This government is obsessed with announcements and restructures dressed up as reform — all a distraction from the reality that they are asking public sector workers to do more with less.”
Ms White said the Premier’s comments praising the Department of State Growth for creating jobs sat in stark contrast to the decision to slash its workforce.
“The Premier cannot stand in parliament and praise the Department of State Growth for creating tens of thousands of jobs, and then announce the loss of 250 of the very jobs that made that success possible,” she said.
“That contradiction goes to the heart of how poorly thought‑through this decision is.”
Ms White said the announcement appeared to have blindsided even senior public service leaders, raising serious concerns about planning, consultation and governance.
“Decisions of this magnitude should be carefully planned, consulted on and evidence‑based — not sprung on workers and senior leaders in a State of the State type speech,” she said.
The CPSU also raised concerns about the creation of the new “Building Tasmania” agency, warning the government was prioritising physical infrastructure over the people needed to deliver outcomes.
“The creation of ‘Building Tasmania’ shows a government obsessed with announcements and restructures while cutting the people who plan, deliver, regulate and maintain the systems that make infrastructure and services work,” Ms White said.
“You cannot build a stronger Tasmania by stripping out critical human capability. Buildings, roads and stadiums alone don’t service our community — skilled public servants do.”
Ms White said the cuts would be felt particularly strongly in Hobart, where the public service plays a central role in economic stability and employment.
“Hobart is a public service town, and that is not a weakness, it’s a strength. These cuts equate to one in four workers at State Growth, they are deep and significant cuts” she said.
“Much of Tasmania’s economic growth has been driven by the capable and professional public sector within State Growth. Cutting hundreds of jobs will hurt families, local businesses and the broader economy”
Ms White said if the government was serious about productivity and delivery, it would invest in its workforce rather than undermining it.
“If the government is serious about ‘getting things done’, it needs to stop dismantling the workforce that actually gets things done,” she said.
“This is not reform. It is a cut to the capability Tasmania needs at a time when challenges like housing, workforce shortages and productivity demand more expertise, not less.”