Question Without Notice No. 515 asked in the Legislative Council on 27 June 2018 by Hon Jacqui Boydell
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION —VOLUNTARY TARGETED SEPARATION SCHEME
515. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the Minister for Environment:
(1) How many staff have been cut to date from roles related to processing environmental clearances and approvals, as a result of the voluntary targeted separation scheme?
(2) What was the division's total savings related to these staffing cuts?
(3) How many new staff will be employed as a result of the $19.4 million funding boost for additional staff and the development of an ''Environmental Online'' system?
(4) Has the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation been offered loan staff from other departments to speed up the assessment and determination process in the interim?
(5) If yes to (4), from where are those staff, and how many?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) One staff member was offered a voluntary severance. The position was not a frontline assessing officer.
(2) The total savings were $159 000.
(3) There will be 20 full-time equivalents in 2018–19 and an additional one FTE in 2019–20.
(4) No.
(5) Not applicable.