NSW metro council workers can now get state help to move to the bush or coast to fill essential jobs such as road maintenance, town planning, engineering and childcare.
Their Welcome Experience program is expanding to include local government jobs as essential work that needs support to recruit staff; other jobs include health, aged care, education, veterinary services, policing and emergency services.
Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig says there are benefits to working in rural and regional areas.
“You can really see the impact in the community (that) your work has in a rural and regional council,” he says.
“Expanding this program will help more workers and families make the move to the regions — helping councils fill those critical skills gaps and make rural and regional towns and cities even better places to live.”
COUNCIL DECISION WELCOMED
General Secretary United Services Union Graeme Kelly says the news follows a recent state decision to fund apprenticeships and traineeships to “revitalise communities (by) delivering the skills and services that (they) so desperately need”.
Country Mayors Association (CMA) NSW chairman Mayor Rick Firman says their 89 council members gladly welcomed news of the program’s expansion.
“In many rural and remote communities, local government is the largest employer, making its inclusion essential,” he says.
“This program is a real winner for rural, remote and regional NSW.”
At the CMA’s recent general meeting, NSW Local Government deputy secretary Brett Whitworth says 132 councils and regional/rural organisations were given funding to attract recruits.
“We’ve seen 1138 new apprentices, trainees and cadets employed around the state with 65% of those (734 new staff) in rural and regional councils; three-quarters of those are aged 25 and under and 15% are Aboriginal,” he says.
The program was established in 2023 as a pilot in 11 local government areas statewide; it since expanded into 88 more areas and helped 3020 workers to make a move.
A Local Government Workforce Skills and Capability Survey found more than 90% of councils have skills shortages with 66% of those saying projects have been affected by staff or skills shortages.
From July 2023 to April 2026, 3412 essential workers moved to rural and regional NSW; with family included, 7025 people were helped to settle in rural areas, the government says.
Click here to find out more about Welcome Experience.
MORE REGIONAL NSW NEWS: Funding help promised as Sydney runs out of landfill space
