Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, will be advocating for the Central Coast to receive its fair share of 900 senior leadership roles which the State Government has announced will be based across regional NSW to ensure critical decisions are made by people who live and work in the communities they serve.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, John Barilaro, said the Government has committed to maintaining and growing the size of the public sector workforce in regional NSW, with senior leadership roles to be region-based by 2025.
“Earlier this year I committed to increasing the number of regionally based roles in the public sector, and today I am proud to announce all NSW Government departments are on board and will place key jobs in the bush,” Barilaro said.
“The Public Service in NSW should reflect NSW, and that means having leaders spread across the state – not just in Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.
“This means decisions about classroom resources will be informed by people whose children are enrolled in local schools, it means decisions about hospital upgrades will be informed by people whose family and friends rely on those facilities.
“It means key decisions made at the highest levels of Government will be directly informed by leaders who live and work in the regions.”
The move would provide regional workers with the opportunity to directly shape their future and make a difference, without having to relocate themselves to Sydney to take up a senior position, he said.
“Larger pay packets in regional areas also means more money spent in regional communities and that helps local business owners pay their staff, it creates growth for local goods and services and brings more money and opportunities to the bush.
“Regional NSW is the engine room of the state’s economy, home to one-third of the state’s population and deserving of fair representation at the highest levels of Government.”
Crouch said the region is already home to a number of NSW Government agencies including the Department of Customer Service, the Department of Regional NSW, Local Land Services, and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
“Any move to bring more permanent jobs into regions like the Central Coast is very welcome,” he said.
“Over the past 18 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that there are a wide variety of jobs which don’t require city offices.”
Terry Collins