Shire cuts staff and services

21 staff to go as SWEK announce swathe of cuts

Twenty one Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley staff positions will be cut and a swathe of services will be cut or closed, including the Wyndham Childcare Centre if its Budget is passed at Tuesday's special meeting.

Twelve staff members will be told to leave their positions while a further nine vacant positions will not be filled.

Other services on the chopping block include pre-cyclone clean-ups while there will be a scaling back of cumbungi management, and maintenance in areas such as lawn-mowing and ranger functions.

The Shire will also "no longer have a specific focus on providing assistance to sporting clubs or the provision of recreation services to Wyndham".

Shire president John Moulden announced the potential changes in a media statement released this morning, and said the putting together the "tight budget" had required a lot of consideration and deliberation by all councillors and executive management.

In the statement, he said the reductions had become necessary as a result of reductions in Federal Government Financial Assistance Grants and major Economic Development Stimulus Grants.

"The tight budget has meant councillors have had to make tough decisions about what services the Shire can and cannot provide and where savings can be made, to ensure the future sustainability of the Shire," Mr Moulden said.

Last month, Shire chief executive Gary Gaffney told The Kimberley Echo tough financial decisions would have to be made to balance the books on the back of fewer Commonwealth grants and costly flood damage.

A meeting for Shire employees was scheduled for this morning to discuss possible impacts on staff but Mr Gaffney is understood to be on holiday, with director of infrastructure Kevin Hannagan filling in as interim chief executive.

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Shire cuts staff and services