Museum jobs set to go as Launceston council looks to save $1.9m
It's understood the Launceston City Council's job cuts will include roles at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. (ABC News: Sarah Abbott)
In short:
Launceston City Council is scrapping about 10 full-time equivalent management roles in order to cut costs.
The council says it is working on redeployment opportunities "where possible" for affected staff.
What's next?
Services are not expected to be impacted by the changes, which are due to take effect early next year.
The Launceston City Council will cut 10 full-time equivalent jobs as it tries to claw back about $1.9 million a year.
The northern Tasmanian council's chief executive, Sam Johnston, informed staff and councillors of the changes by email on October 26.
The ABC understands some of the redundancies will affect staff at Launceston's Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG).
In a statement, the council said it was changing its "organisational structure" and was working with 43 affected employees.
"The changes made are expected to deliver significant operational savings without compromising service delivery," it said.
"The organisational changes focus on how our teams and networks are structured, building on recent productivity improvements to strengthen efficiency and service delivery."
The council's 2026-27 budget includes an underlying operational deficit of $2.2 million.
The redundancies are expected to save the council about $1.9 million annually in staff costs.
The council's chief executive informed staff and councillors of the changes on October 26. (City of Launceston)
An 'anxious time' for workers
The job losses were announced in the midst of a local government election period and implemented without consideration by elected representatives.
Newly re-elected Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood has been contacted for comment.
"This is obviously an anxious time for many of our members," Australian Services Union (ASU) Tasmanian branch secretary Tash Wark said.
"The ASU is working with members and the council to ensure that affected workers are offered a fair redundancy or reasonable redeployment, and will vigorously advocate for impacted members in this process.
"We are also working to ensure that staffing cuts do not adversely impact services to the community."
The council said it was working on the redeployment of impacted staff "where possible".
The changes are expected to take effect at the end of January.
The council expressed "immense appreciation" for the affected staff.
"Your contributions to council and the community have been invaluable," a spokesperson said.
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