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Professionals Australia calls for a halt to the axing of 950 jobs at TfNSW and urges action to protect technical capability and public safety in agency restructure

Professionals Australia

Professionals Australia is calling for an immediate halt to the proposed axing of 950 jobs at Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and a Parliamentary Inquiry into the agency's restructuring, which will put the maintenance and delivery of the State’s infrastructure at risk, undermining public safety.

Ahead of Friday's NSW Industrial Relations Commission conciliation hearing, Professionals Australia is raising concerns that without proper consultation, the reforms could erode technical expertise and compromise the state’s safe, reliable public transport infrastructure.

Professionals Australia, which represents engineers and technical professionals across TfNSW, says the government’s Operational Model reform has led to a significant loss of skilled staff and growing dependence on private consultants, putting at risk the quality, safety and accountability of NSW’s transport infrastructure.

While the Commission has invited senior government representatives — including the Transport Secretary, Treasury, and the Premier’s Office — it cannot compel attendance. Professionals Australia is urging invitees to participate and engage in meaningful discussions on the issues raised, stating that public visibility and accountability are essential for progress.  

Having raised their concerns through every available channel, but with little progress, Union members felt compelled to act to protect both their profession and public interests.

“As technical professionals dedicated to building and maintaining the NSW public transport system, our members' jobs keep NSW moving. More importantly, their jobs keep NSW safe, and right now the NSW Government’s proposed reforms of TfNSW undermine that critical goal,” said Professionals Australia NSW Director Justine McCarthy.

“Our members are deeply concerned that the current reform is pushing out the very people who make the system work and keep the public safe – the experts who design, maintain and oversee the state’s transport network and critical infrastructure.”

“This isn’t about stopping change, it’s about making sure it’s done right,” she said.

“We’re calling for transparency, proper consultation, and a renewed focus on retaining the technical skills and experience that keep transport services safe, efficient and accountable to the taxpayer.

“That’s why our members are speaking to MPs this week about the need for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the restructure of TfNSW.”

Professionals Australia says the restructure, which began last year, was supposed to streamline operations and reduce executive numbers. Instead, many senior management roles have been retained. At the same time, more than 100 skilled positions have been cut and up to 950 further job losses have been flagged, resulting in a significant increase in reliance on private consultants.

“Losing that much in-house expertise means more reliance on costly private consultants and less oversight of critical decisions,” Mr Roberts said.

“The NSW Government’s reliance on private consultants is frankly out of control. We have identified branches where the number of private contractors is six times the number of full-time employees.

“That’s an extraordinary waste of taxpayers' money and only further undermines the NSW public services' in-house technical capacity to manage public transport projects safely and transparently.

“When TfNSW completely outsources its engineering capacity to private contractors, you get incidents like the M6 sinkhole, where the roof on this vital road tunnel project leaked and collapsed, rendering the entire worksite unsafe.

“That project will now be years behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars over budget while the government and private contractor argue over who's responsible. It’s the perfect example of what happens when government relinquishes its own in-house engineering capabilities.

“That’s not in the public interest, that’s why we’re calling for both an immediate halt to the axing of 950 positions from TfNSW and a Parliamentary Inquiry to ensure this reform delivers value, safety and accountability for NSW taxpayers.”

Professionals Australia is urging the government to:

• Retain and rebuild technical expertise within Transport for NSW
• Ensure people fill leadership roles with the right qualifications and experience
• Protect public ownership and prevent further outsourcing of essential services
• Engage transparently with employees, Unions, and the public.
  
  

“We want to work with the government, not against it,” Ms McCarthy said.

“Our members are ready to be part of the solution, but we need a seat at the table and a genuine commitment to fixing what’s not working.”

Contact details:

Darren Rodrigo – 0414 783 405