The Environmental Protection Authority is proposing to cut 42 roles, and the Ministry of Justice plans 127 job cuts. Photo: RNZ
Correction: This story has been updated with the latest percentage figure on workforce cuts provided by the Environmental Protection Authority.
About 169 jobs are to be axed at the government's environmental watchdog and the Justice Ministry, as part of government cost-cutting.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) confirmed it was looking to cut 42 jobs - about 16 percent of its workforce.
While the Ministry of Justice confirmed 127 jobs will go as a part of its change proposals. That includes, 186 roles in total - of which, 89 are currently vacant, and it will create 59 new roles.
Justice job cuts to focus on Wellington staff
The Ministry of Justice said the roles would be almost exclusively from its national office.
The 127 net roles now planned are a minimal increase from its initial proposal from June, which was for 123 roles, a total of 11 percent of staff in its national office.
The office includes roles in corporate services, policy, legal and strategy functions, and operational support.
Secretary for Justice Andrew Kibblewhite said they received more than 1400 feedback submissions from staff on the proposals.
Secretary for Justice Andrew Kibblewhite (file photo) Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
"The key factor in our decision-making has been the need to deliver on our core functions and strategy and continue our work to strengthen people's trust in the law of Aotearoa New Zealand," he said.
"In finalising these proposals, we looked closely at where we might be able to make savings, reduce duplication or overlap in functions, and be more efficient."
Kibblewhite also acknowledged how unsettling the proposals had been for staff, especially those directly affected.
Now the final decisions had been made, the ministry would begin to appoint people to the new roles.
The new structure would come into effect on 1 October.
Environmental authority told to cut $2.1m, but already under stress - union
Public Service Association national secretary Kerry Davies said the Environmental Protection Authority - the regulator charged with "protecting the environment and enhancing a safe and sustainable way of life", had been told to cut spending by $2.1m.
But Davies said the organisation was already under stress: "The EPA has been under financial pressure for years.
"In 2022, it commissioned a report into its finances by consultants Martin Jenkins which warned the failure to properly fund the EPA could 'heighten delivery risks and the potential for adverse outcomes'," Davies said.
"All this is happening in the face of evidence the government should be investing more in an agency like the EPA at the frontline of protecting our environment from threats."
"This is just the latest in a series of deep cuts which underscore how little the government values our precious environmental resources, and how they can be responsibly harnessed to grow the economy," Davies said.
"It's already slashed funding and jobs at DOC, the Ministry for the Environment, the Climate Change Commission, NIWA and GNS Science which all help to safeguard our environment and prepare us for climate change. It's axed roles at Customs and the Ministry for Primary Industries which protect our borders from threats to our primary sector."
Dr Allan Freeth heads the EPA (file photo) Photo: RNZ / Phil Pennington
EPA chief executive Dr Allan Freeth said he would be "carefully considering [the] views" of the organisation's kaimahi as they worked to make budget savings.
"While a reduction in our workforce will impact our work and delivery in some ways, I remain confident in the strength and determination of our kaimahi and we will continue to undertake our work across all our areas of responsibility," he said.
The proposed changes include:
- Disestablishing 21 vacant roles
- Disestablishing 32 roles that are currently filled
- Establishing 11 new roles
- That means a net reduction of 21 filled roles
Teams losing roles:
- Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement (10)
- Customer and Community Engagement (8)
- Communications (6)
- Government Engagement and Information Management (4)
- Climate, Land and Oceans (3)
- Legal (2)
Consultation on the EPA job cuts is scheduled to run through August, with final decisions expected in late September.
"The EPA is a small organisation with close connections between individuals and teams," Freeth said.
"Today's proposals will be felt deeply by everyone in the organisation, whether or not they are personally impacted by the proposal."