Rangers, programs and other staff to face the axe at DEC

[Paul Sheridan]

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Media Release							21 May, 
2004		
Rangers, programs and other staff to face the axe at DEC

Education programs will be cut, redundancies at head office and frontline rangers face losing their jobs as part of  "savings" the Department of the Environment (DEC) will seek in order to cope with a $30 million budget cut announced in the Carr Government's mini-budget, a parliamentary inquiry has confirmed.

Greens MLC Ian Cohen said the Director-General of DEC Lisa Corbyn told the Upper House inquiry today that all staff in the department's Sustainable Programs Division had been sent letters seeking their  "expression of interest" in a redundancy.

Ms Corbyn also confirmed to members of the inquiry that education programs would be cut or in some cases scaled back to save money.

"Rangers on the national parks frontline face job cuts as well, while other services in regional offices will be cut back."

Mr Cohen said Ms Corbyn told the inquiry that job cuts would be rolled out over the next two years.

"Staff will now have to bare the brunt of this government's hypocritical stance on environmental management. While the Premier claims to be a green premier, his treasurer slashes funding to the departments that must manage his environment policies.

"For the second year in a row environment funding is being cut by the Carr Government and this threatens its ability to deliver on key election promises, such as managing an expanded national park estate and pursuing prosecutions for environmental crimes.

"In the mini-budget, the government announced a $30 million cut from DEC and it is outrageous that staff will have to carry that budget burden by losing their jobs.

"This budget confirms this government's continual commitment to 'greenwash' rather than a green future.

Mr Cohen said the budget cut this financial year to DEC follows a $47 million budget cut last year.

Further Information: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656





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