Council adopts change proposal for Finance Services

6 May 2004

The Council has adopted a new way of delivering Finance Services to the organisation after staff feedback.

This decision to adopt a change proposal for Finance Services was announced to affected staff today.

Finance Services staff, along with the rest of Council, were told two weeks ago about the likely changes that would create 15 new positions while disestablishing 12 existing positions in Finance Services.

Affected staff were asked to make submissions on the proposals before management reached a final decision today. Their unions have also been consulted.

General Manager of Corporate Services, Roy Baker, says Finance Service and Council unit feedback from this process has been largely supportive of the proposal and its new direction. The main consensus is that it would be a more logical way to deliver finance services effectively across the organisation.

“Extensive consultation with staff led to some changes in the proposal, with  another position being disestablished - taking the total to 13 - but the general thrust of the proposal remains the same,” Mr Baker says.

Details of these changes were released to affected staff today.

Advertising for four new Finance Manager positions begins next week internally and externally, but the 11 new accounting technician roles will initially only be made available to affected staff. Only if these positions are not filled internally, will they then be advertised externally, Mr Baker says.

Implementation of the new proposal for Finance Service delivery will occur in June.

Existing staff will have the opportunity to apply for all positions. If they are unsuccessful, redeployment options will be discussed before redundancy is considered. It should be known by June whether redundancies are involved, he says.

“We’re offering affected staff all the support possible to help them through this difficult period,” Mr Baker says.

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