The Victorian government has announced plans to cut around 350 public sector jobs as part of a sweeping restructure of its Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), sparking backlash from unions and regional communities.
The job losses will hit key areas including Agriculture Victoria, Solar Victoria, bushfire and forest services, and the First Peoples group. The move follows Treasurer Jaclyn Symes’ May budget pledge to save $3.3 billion by streamlining the public service, amid mounting state debt and a broader plan to slash up to 3,000 roles across departments.
Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) secretary Jiselle Hanna condemned the cuts, calling them “devastating” and warning that highly skilled workers would be left jobless. “These people and their services are critical to local communities and economies,” she said, adding that the union had not been consulted and had yet to see the findings of the Helen Silver-led review that was meant to guide such decisions.
“These early announcements of job cuts are the Silver review by stealth,” Hanna said. “We don’t understand the rationale or justification for these wide-ranging losses.”
In response to the backlash, DEECA has committed to a month-long consultation with staff before implementing the changes. Meanwhile, the CPSU has proposed an alternative savings plan that it claims could deliver $13 billion in efficiencies without cutting a single job.
As regional Victoria braces for the fallout, questions remain over the long-term impact on environmental services, bushfire preparedness, and community engagement.
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