Local government is a major national employer with over 190,800 workers in almost 400 occupations.

However, councils and communities across NSW are suffering from the impacts of skills and labour shortages, which slow economic development and hamper productivity. 

A 2022 survey commissioned by the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) found that demand for skills and labour often exceeds supply, driving up costs and delaying investment; this corroborates the first-hand experiences of WSROC councils.

Where councils are not able to attract and retain appropriately skilled workers, they struggle to deliver the range and level of services required by their communities, including place-based implementation of government policies (e.g. disaster recovery and local housing targets). 

WSROC supports Local Government NSW’s call for action on addressing labour and skills shortages in councils across NSW. These include:

• Funding a study that quantifies what local government sills shortages throughout the nations means to national productivity and the economy.
• Invest in training to support para-professional, trades and entry-level pathways to employment in local government and to upskilling councils’ workforces in response to new and emerging jobs and work.
• Allow for greater flexibility/overcoming barriers to accreditation/registration of professional and trades employees.
• Ensure all areas of need have equitable access to VET and tertiary courses and educational institutions – including face-to-face training.
• Drive local economic recovery through initiatives to address labour shortages impacting primary producers, businesses and councils across NSW.
• Commit to incentives (such as scholarships, cadetships, wage subsidies) to address critical local government skills shortages.