Environment Ministry proposes to slash workforce
Wednesday, 5 June 2024
The Environment Ministry is proposing to cut its workforce by almost a third.
Staff were told this morning of the proposal to cut 303 full time equivalent roles. On top of that, about 200 unfilled vacancies were proposed to be scrapped.
The release of the proposal also happened to land on the UN’s World Environment Day.
Internal documents seen by The Post show the ministry is looking at a two step transition, with some staff given the option of delayed redundancies which would end mid next year.
The net proposed reduction of current full time (FTE) roles was 102. It also proposed to finish 156 full time fixed term contracts by November this year. There were also another 45 voluntary redundancies.
Together, that was a proposed reduction of 303 roles in the 2025/26 year, from a current pool of 993.
The document also says altogether, it could be 540 fewer FTE roles in the next financial year than the 1230 FTE was budgeted for this year.
“About 200 of these roles were never filled due to recruitment controls,” the document states.
It says of the affected staff, a small number would be “reconfirmed in a role”.
“At the end of the process you may be offered a permanent role, delayed redundancy until June 2025, or in some cases redundancy.”
The ministry was also accepting expressions of interest for voluntary redundancies.
Chief executive James Palmer said “prior to the change of government, after a period of rapid growth the ministry’s budget was on track to decline by 26% over the next four years as time limited funding for waste, water and resource management programmes came to an end”.
“Throughout 2023 we took steps to prepare for that decline, instituting a hiring freeze last year, and employing a number of people on fixed term contracts.”
Public Service Association national secretary Duane Leo described the proposal as “turning a blind eye to our environmental challenges and again ignoring the evidence of its own experts so it can fund tax cuts”.
“The ministry advised its new minister that the environment was ‘under significant pressure’ and that effort was needed ‘if the prosperity and wellbeing of New Zealanders is to be maintained’.”
“The very people charged with monitoring environment standards and analysing data are also under threat in this proposal.“
Budget 2024 showed the Ministry for the Environment hit its savings target of $49.1 million, then saved an extra $44.4m on top of that.
– Additional reporting by Julie Jacobson