Any State Government plans to relocate metropolitan-based public servants to regional areas would need to be carefully thought through according to the Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Service Association.

CPSU/CSA Branch Secretary Toni Walkington said employees need to be given a choice and the State Government had to support those who relocated so their costs were offset.

“It is important that no employee is forced to go and if they don’t want to then they are provided with an opportunity for meaningful work in other agencies in the metropolitan area,” Ms Walkington said.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan has announced the relocation of 103 Department of Local Government staff to Albany if Labor wins the 2013 State Election while Premier Colin Barnett has suggested that more government infrastructure could be established in Bunbury. “The impact for the workers is similar in both Albany and Bunbury, if workers have to be relocated the same principle will apply.”

“The government needs to ensure that employees and their families have access to the same level of services and infrastructure they currently enjoy in the metropolitan area.”

Regional communities would welcome the injection of more public servants which will have a flow-on effect on local economies.

The Barnett Government has reduced the number of public sector employees in the South-West including the closure of Tourism WA regional offices and the downsizing of the Forest Products Commission.

Ms Walkington said the CPSU/CSA had thousands of members already working in regional Western Australia in areas such as child protection, the environment and agriculture.

“The government has big offices through regional WA so there is an established infrastructure in those towns and this will just add to that.”

Ms Walkington said there would be some real issues for families such as access to tertiary education and that would be something people would consider very highly in their decision making.

“It will have impacts for people like that.”

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