Christchurch jobs in latest cuts proposal
Dog trainers from Customs’ Detector Dog Unit, anti-money laundering regulators and a lead investigator of digital child exploitation are among the latest jobs that could go in the public service cuts – including in Christchurch.
In total, more than 100 roles are proposed to be cut at the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and Customs.
A new proposal at DIA is looking to disestablish 41 jobs in anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism, and also in digital safety.
Meanwhile, 78 roles were proposed to be cut at Customs.
The roles were from around the country, and included jobs in border operations, and intelligence and enforcement.
Two of the three Auckland dog trainer roles and a senior customs officer in Auckland, Whangarei, Gisborne, Timaru and Invercargill were among those proposed to be disestablished.
The Christchurch assurance team is proposed to be completely disestablished, while in border operations, the Christchurch supervising customs officer is proposed to go, leaving the team reporting to a supervisor in Auckland.
In total, 14 jobs were proposed to go from Christchurch.
Last month, Customs told The Press it had offered voluntary redundancy to 34 staff members, after receiving 117 expressions of interest.
Of the DIA jobs, 11 were proposed to go in the digital safety team and the anti-money laundering and countering terrorism financing
were looking to shrink from 51 jobs to 30.
Public Service Association assistant secretary Fleur Fitzsimons described it as “irresponsible and dangerous at a time when these crimes are getting more sophisticated and causing more harm than ever before”.
“Customs is the first line of defence ... the people who are facing possible job loss are carrying out valuable work on the frontline. Some oversee staff who work to ensure importers are correctly paying excise taxes and duties.
“Others train detector dogs who sniff out illegal drugs and firearms in mail, at airports and on ships.”
A Customs spokesperson said of the 78 roles proposed to be disestablished, none “would impact Customs’ ability to deliver frontline border services and critical support”.
They said some of the positions were vacant, and a recent voluntary redundancy round also contributed to the total figure. Some new positions were also proposed.
Fitzsimons said DIA’s anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism team supervised more than 5000 institutions, including “three casinos, 1361 law firms, 940 real estate agents and 633 accountants”.
A DIA spokesperson said they are proposing to disestablish 78 roles in total and create 19 new ones. Forty-two of the roles were vacant positions.
They said they closed down vacant positions where possible, some held vacant over recent months in anticipation.
Earlier this month, DIA proposed to shake up the majority of its branches.
A spokesperson said 28 staff in the Māori, Strategy and Performance branch and the indexing team of the National Library could be affected.
The roles proposed to go in the Māori, Strategy and Performance branch include five in the legal team, two which are vacant; nine roles in its Enterprise Portfolio Management Office, five that are vacant; and four roles in its communication team.
A spokesperson for the Department of Internal Affairs confirmed the proposal was part of the response to cost saving targets.
“People changes account for less than half of the savings we have identified, with 60% of the required savings found in efficiencies and curtailing expenditure.”
At the start of March, the Department of Internal Affairs confirmed there would be “organisational change” affecting positions and staff. It has closed longer term vacancies and is “carefully considering every recruitment decision”.
DIA also confirmed there had been a reduction of staff due to the water reform law being repealed.
The number of staff working on the water services transition unit was at 427 as at October last year. Since then, the Government repealed the reforms, with most of the positions ending last month.
“As at 11 April 2024, the number of staff working on water services for the Department stood at 60, including 43 on fixed term contracts. This number will continue to fall in coming weeks, with remaining National Transition Unit staff due to finish up by the end of April,” a spokesperson said.
“Some staff working on water services policy, legislation, and stewardship will be retained to support the implementation of Local Water Done Well. These staff are currently on fixed term contracts until June.”