The Tasmanian Greens claim the state government is about to halve the staff in a unit that helps communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters, just as a record El Niño builds in the Pacific.
Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor said staff in resilience and recovery Tasmania, which sits within the Department of Premier and Cabinet, were told last week that positions would be cut.
“To make cuts to resilience and recovery Tasmania at this time isn’t just negligent, it’s downright dangerous,” O’Connor said.
“The threat of a repeat in our island state is as real as it is worrying.”
The unit works with communities before, during and after natural disasters and security incidents.
O’Connor said scientists and meteorologists have warned Tasmania faces a difficult fire season over the coming summer.
“We need government to be increasing capacity in the resilience and recovery unit, not cutting it,” she said.
O’Connor linked the cuts to the state’s budget and the Macquarie Point stadium, saying the government should walk away from it and look at raising mining royalties and licence fees.
She also raised the government’s artificial intelligence accelerator program.
“AI cannot work with communities on resilience and recovery,” she said.
“You need expert state servants who have that capacity and that experience and those networking connections to do that work in community.”
Asked what evidence she had, O’Connor said the Greens had it on “very good authority” from people working inside government.
“We speak to people who work inside government and if it’s not happening, then the government needs to come out and say that.”
A government spokesperson rejected the claim.
“The Resilience and Recovery Tasmania team is part of this consultation; however, the size of this team has not changed under the new proposal,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the government recognised “this is a period of change” and was committed to giving employees the chance to review proposals, ask questions and give feedback before decisions were finalised.
The Greens are holding a climate preparedness forum at City Hall tomorrow from 1pm to 6pm.
