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Plans to slash 75 jobs from the NSW environment watchdog are being slammed by union leaders and conservation groups. The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has announced it is considering a new operating model, designed to save the regulator an estimated $20 million per year. The EPA said it anticipated 69 ongoing job losses and the reduction of six senior positions. About 20 per cent of the EPA's current 885 staff would be impacted, with 113 existing roles changing to fill vacancies in the proposed new structure. The regulator said the changes were "not targeted at frontline or regional workers". Cuts to frontline workers disputed But the Public Service Association's industrial manager Julie-Ann Bond said the union had been contacted by members who had frontline roles at the EPA and had been told their jobs were at risk. "Those roles are integral in protecting our state's environment," she said. "They're there investigating criminal waste, such as asbestos dumping, they're ensuring that our waterways are protected. "These are frontline roles that [if changed] are going to put our state's environment at great risk." In a statement, the EPA said the changes aimed to "bolster critical environmental protection capability and the delivery of our core regulatory functions through increased effectiveness and efficiency". Conservationists concerned The Nature Conservation Council (NCC) NSW has called for more transparency around the proposed cuts. "If there are going to be major changes to how environmental enforcement is done, I think communities deserve to know what's happening and have a say," NCC CEO Jacqui Mumford said. "We would expect the government to be much, much clearer and to give an explanation for how it plans to protect the environment with fewer resources." Ms Mumford said there was particular concern about the ongoing regulation of forestry activities. "At a statewide level, they're really critical in managing our native forests, regulating how land is cleared on private property," she said. Ms Mumford said the proposed cuts would hamper the EPA's ability to prosecute alleged breaches, pointing to a case against Forestry Corporation in Tallaganda State Forest earlier this year. Latest cuts to government services The EPA is the latest in a series of state government agencies to announce cuts this year, with Transport for New South Wales, Water NSW, TAFE NSW and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) axing more than 1,500 jobs in total. NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said she was confident the government would be able to continue to deliver services to regional communities. "It's certainly a challenge for people who are going through it, but the government will continue to be able to deliver the services that we've committed to delivering for the people of New South Wales." In a statement, NSW Farmers said it was important job losses at the EPA did "not affect the safety and security of our farms and regional communities". The group said it was concerned cuts to the DPIRD, including losses at facilities in Wagga Wagga and Wollongbar, could impact on the agricultural industry. "We should be able to count on the support and expertise of departmental staff, particularly in agriculture and biosecurity, and it's a real worry to see important services being cut across government labs of late."
