[Greens-Media] DoW staff cuts set to cause huge water problems

[Richards, Kirsten]

The Greens have claimed that staff cuts planned by the Department of Water will result in potential ongoing mismanagement of Perth's water resources as Perth faces yet another dry summer.

During budget estimates it was revealed that close to one in five people are to be slashed from the staff at the Department of Water from 581 to 486 by the end of the next financial year.

However following questions in Parliament it was also revealed that necessary upgrades to the Department's internal computing systems are simply not occurring rapidly enough to make up for the severe staff cuts.

The Department intended to replace the 95 redundant staff with a new $13.6 million computer system, rather optimistically named the "Platform for Contemporary Water Management", Ms Xamon said.

"In response to my questions in Parliament, the Minister for Water said $7.8 million would be spent on software development, but none on hardware upgrades or staff training" Ms Xamon said.

"This system will be a remarkable one-of-a-kind success if it is able to be implemented on time and on budget while undertaking the work of 95 former staff.  But it certainly doesn't appear that this will be the case.

"Combining a massive reduction in staffing levels while testing and implementing a new system seems to me unnecessarily foolhardy."

"I find it staggering that the Department feels it can slash its staffing levels by 20 per cent and delay essential infrastructure while Perth is experiencing a dry winter and facing a dry summer," Ms Xamon said.

"Dam levels are worryingly low and the Gnangara Mound continues to face severe stress.

"It is at this time that the Department has decided we need less people to manage our water supply, water management, conservation, recycling and efficiency programs.

"We need more resources working to manage and conserve our scarce water supplies, not less."