Lismore City Council's decision to outsource waste services is a bitter blow for hard-working council workers, a NSW Labor senator has stated.
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A Waste Service Review report was a comprehensive review into the council's waste and resource recovery services and plans.
The report provided a comprehensive list of operational and strategic investment options for all functional areas of the council's waste and resource recovery operations including collections, materials recycling, resource recovery, landfill cell management and capping, organics processing and regional partnerships.
The report recommended a transition to Balanced Regional Model (C).
The majority of councillors voted at last week's council meeting to pursue that option, and a rescission motion on Tuesday night was defeated.
Senator Tony Sheldon said: "Lismore's waste services workers, many of whom have given years of service to the community, were some of the heroes of the massive clean-up effort after the devastating 2022 floods."
One of the impacted waste services workers said: "After working for Lismore City Council for over 25 years, working through and responding to the clean up of several floods, then the COVID pandemic I feel and believe dedicated council workers have been disgracefully disregarded by the city management and councillors, shame on them."
Mr Sheldon said it was disappointing the council voted in favour of exploring the outsourcing option, "despite workers rallying outside the Council Chambers, making their opposition to the proposal very clear".
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"Lismore City Council should reconsider its decision and should enter into immediate discussions with the workforce and their union, the United Services Union," Mr Sheldon said.
"The privatisation of these jobs increases uncertainty and may result in cuts to wages, conditions, and job security for council workers, which is particularly damaging for those with families depending on this income and those approaching retirement age.
"If the council does not reconsider its decision, it must provide guarantees that existing conditions and entitlements will be maintained when the jobs are outsourced".
Mayor Steve Krieg said in a statement that jobs would not be impacted.
"As we have stated from the beginning, there are no Lismore City Council staff job losses proposed as part of these actions," Cr Krieg said.
