Up to 900 senior leadership positions in the NSW Public Service are to be based in regional communities by 2025.
Announcing the moves, Minister for Regional NSW, John Barilaro said the relocations were to ensure critical decisions affecting the bush were made by people who lived and worked in the communities affected.
“The Public Service in NSW should reflect NSW and that means having leaders spread across the State,” Mr Barilaro said, “not just in Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.”
“Government has committed to maintaining and growing the size of the public sector workforce in regional NSW, committing to targets for senior leadership roles to be based in regional NSW by 2025,” he said.
“I am proud to announce all NSW Government Departments are on board and will place key jobs in the bush.”
Mr Barilaro said locating senior positions in the bush would provide locals 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.
“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,” he said.
“It means key decisions made at the highest levels of Government will be directly informed by leaders who live and work in the regions.”
Mr Barilaro said regional NSW was home to one-third of the State’s population and deserved fair representation at the highest levels of Government.
