The lack of resources available to one government department is overworking its employees and leaving important legislative works lagging, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.
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The Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment Department had the equivalent of just more than 1213 full-time output employees on its books according to its latest annual report, 19 less than in the previous year.
CPSU Tasmanian branch secretary Thirza White said the department needed solid resource grounding due to responses it undertook to emergency situations.
Of particular concern to Ms White was the staffing levels within the Animal Health and Welfare unit.
Ms White said in instances like the Strahan whale stranding, yearly bushfires, emergency wildlife and parks management and contribution to the state government's COVID-19 response, employees from the department had been implemented to undertake works.
She said those works were needed to be undertaken on top of department employee's regular workload without provisions put in place to distribute typical tasks.
"Workers in the department lose hours, days and weeks responding to those emergencies," she said.
"There's a surge for the workforce during emergencies ... but we don't see the government funding it as if it was an emergency service department."
A number of departmental roles involve implementing legislation and regulatory works, like animal health and welfare, and Ms White said without more adequate funding those works would be delayed.
She said feedback from members was that at the current staffing levels, those works were unable to be carried out in a timely way.
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When DPIPWE secretary Tim Baker was asked how many staff were allocated to the unit, and how many jobs the unit responded to on a regular basis, he did not answer.
When asked whether he was confident the current staffing levels could adequately respond to the demand a department spokesperson responded.
"DPIPWE continually reviews staffing and activities to ensure suitable resourcing and capability across the agency," they said.
"DPIPWE continues to work collaboratively with unions on a range of matters raised by their members."
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