New ministry MCERT proposes cutting 400 jobs in restructure
The newly formed New Zealand mega-ministry MCERT has proposed cutting 400 roles to achieve $50 million in annual savings. The move is part of a broader government initiative to reduce public service jobs by 14% over three years.
Why it matters
The proposal highlights ongoing tensions between government austerity measures and public sector job security in New Zealand.
The newly formed mega-ministry the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) has proposed cutting 400 roles.
MCERT met with staff on Wednesday to announce the proposal.
It said 365 of the roles being axed were currently vacant. It has about 1700 staff in total.
The ministry hopes to deliver $50 million in annual savings by 2028-29.
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The mega-ministry was created in July , merging the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Ministry of Transport and the local government functions of the Department of Internal Affairs.
MCERT chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot said no decisions had been made, and nothing was final until staff have had their say.
"We will listen carefully to any suggestions they have for doing things differently, before making our final decisions in December."
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