This article was first published by RNZ.
The transport agency has axed more than a hundred jobs from programmes canned or scaled back by the change of government.
So far 109 roles have been disestablished from the Clean Car Discount, Climate Emergency Response Fund, and Let’s Get Wellington Moving projects, NZTA Waka Kotahi confirmed.
On top of that, last week it announced it was proposing to drop another 12 roles in the Customer and Services and Digital teams to meet the government’s 7.5 percent cost cutting target.
More job losses could be on the cards due to “reduced budget and new priorities”, People Culture and Safety Group general manager Caz Jackson said.
Have you been affected by public sector job cuts? Email hamish.cardwell@rnz.co.nz
“We are not undertaking an agency-wide restructuring programme,” she said.
“Instead, each of our business groups is aligning resources with the available budget and priorities, ensuring a strategic and targeted approach to the changes.”
The agency could not forecast how many more jobs could go, because proposed changes will be rolled out over the year, she said.
As of 29 April, NZTA had 2907 permanent and fixed-term employees.
Cuts confirmed at MPI
The Ministry for Primary industries has confirmed it’s cutting 391 roles - slightly more than the 384 it originally proposed in March, following feedback from staff.
That was about 10 percent of the workforce.
Of those, 65 people have left due to natural attrition or early redundancy, 193 were vacant positions, and 133 were “current positions that are directly affected by final decisions”, director-general Ray Smith said.
“I can confirm that we will not be making any reductions to frontline services or statutory roles, such as veterinarians, animal welfare, fishery and food compliance officers, or our biosecurity teams at the border.
“We have been able to reduce the impact on affected staff through holding vacancies, offering early redundancy, and retaining additional roles in some business units.”
Those losing their jobs would be able to apply for roles that have become available through decisions announced today as well as existing vacancies.
There were around 1500 staff submissions on the proposed cuts.
A submission from the Biosecurity NZ unit for its animal and plant health directorate was adopted and resulted in 22 biosecurity jobs being retained, Smith said.
The changes take effect on 1 July.
So far, more than 4500 jobs have been cut or are proposed to go as part of wider public sector job cuts.
- RNZ