Staff of the new Georges River Council have been assured there will not be “a rash of job losses”.
Administrator John Rayner and interim general manager Gail Connolly said rationalisation of the workforce was not on their minds.
Even when the matter was eventually addressed, they did not see “a lot of fat” in the merged councils.
Ms Connolly said the Local Government Act protected staff for three years from forced redundancies.
”Unless you are on a senior staff contract...you can’t be made redundant,” she said.
”There’s not going to be this rash of job losses.
“Front line services need to be protected – the child care centres, the libraries and the guys mowing the parks.”
Ms Connolly said this message was being conveyed to staff at meetings in offices and work depots.
Ms Connolly said the first priority was to get HR (human resources), IT (information technology) and customer service teams working together.
“They are the backbone of the organisation,” she said.
“Staff have been very good, and are adapting well.
“They are rotating between Hurtstville and Kogarah [council chambers] on an as-needs basis, and taking a flexible approach to going wherever they are needed to go to try and set up the organisation.”
Mr Rayner said no thought had been given to setting a job numbers target.
“At the moment, it’s all about continuing the business and improving services,” he said.
”What I would like to see is equalisation of services and, where we can, improve them.”
Mr Rayner said they would be writing to former councillors of Hurstville and Kogarah to see who would be interested in serving on a committee, which will provide advice to him.
”I have spoken to most, and the majority are interested,” he said.
“However, they have to be people who are positive about the new organisation, who are not just going to spend their time trying to de-amalgamate,” he said.
Ms Connolly said the allowances paid to former councillors ceased on the May 12, when the new council was created.
”They have already been requested – and have done so – to hand back all the equipment.
“So, their iPhones, laptops, iPads and the mayoral car from Kogarah all came back.
“Their email addresses were ceased.
“For all intents and purposes, now they are just citizens, but, if they apply and are successful in becoming members of the local representation committee, then they will be remunerated at the councillor rate.”
In a message to council staff, MsConnolly said Georges River Council “represents a new beginning”.
“By working together, we can achieve better long-term outcomes that perhaps weren’t possible as separate councils, and which now can certainly become a reality,” she said.
Ms Connolly said it was also important “to recognise and celebrate the great achievements of each former council and determine those features that together we can build on as a foundation for the new council”.