As the South Coast of NSW rebuilds, union members are on the front line.

“PSA members in agencies such as the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and the State Emergency Service (SES) are at their best,” said Regional Organiser Bart McKenzie (pictured right with RFS members Lachlan Broderick, Gillian Butler and Fiona Cullen).

Members in Housing are still dealing with the homeless crisis caused by the bushfires several years ago and exacerbated by recent spiralling rent and housing costs.

“In addition to our frontline workers in these agencies, the South Coast is acutely dependent on all Public Sector workers.

With so many local workers employed in seasonal industries such as tourism and agriculture, the stability of Public Sector jobs is a godsend for our communities.” A report commissioned in 2021 by the South Coast Labour Council found that the Illawarra and South Coast local authorities had a higher percentage of Public Sector workers than most other NSW areas. “The Public Sector is a vital part of the state’s operations that interacts with us every day,” said PSA CPSU NSW General Secretary Stewart Little. “But it is in times of crisis and the subsequent rebuilding that we shine.

“Our members in regions such as the South Coast and the Northern Rivers have been there, resurrecting communities, rehousing people and preventing further catastrophes.

“In the west of the state, we’ve seen catastrophic fish kills and once again it is our members going to the sites and working on solutions.”