Ministry to cut down full-time workforce to 707 by January 2026
The Ministry for the Environment has reduced the planned number of full-time employees that it intends to lay off, according to data from the Public Service Association (PSA).
The ministry revealed in June its plans to cut 338 full-time positions to reduce its headcount from 993 to 690.
However, the final decision announced by the ministry to its staff on Friday showed that it plans to reduce its current full-time workforce of 988 roles to 707.5 by January 2026.
According to the PSA, the workforce reduction will include voluntary redundancies and the ending of fixed-term roles.
The association said it was "pleased" that the ministry reduced the proposed job losses in response to the push back from PSA members.
"Our heart goes out to all impacted workers at this ministry whose vital work in gathering the evidence the Government needs to make good decisions is no longer valued," said PSA national secretary Kerry Davies in a statement.
However, Davies said it is "still not the time for any job losses."
"This is just another sad indictment of the government's ability to front up to the serious and complex challenges we face as a country," Davies added. "It's simply irresponsible that just days after global temperatures hit their highest level in recorded history, the government is content to sit by and allow the knee capping of one of the key agencies helping us adapt to climate change."
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Public sector cuts
The ministry's cuts follow the announcement that its funding would be reduced by $316 million, which the PSA said would impact its programmes on freshwater protection, waste minimisation, biodiversity, environmental reporting, among others.
It also comes amid widespread layoffs in the public sector from spending cuts ordered by the government.
Trade Me Jobs data revealed that the country is starting to witness the full extent of the cuts, as the Government & Council industry saw the biggest on-year drop in job listings this year.