Tasmania’s public sector union says the location of government departments should not be decided by politicians.

The Hodgman Government has announced that it will relocate 100 jobs from the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) to Devonport and Launceston if it is re-elected.

But Tom Lynch of the Community and Public Sector Union Tasmania branch says government workers’ livelihoods should not hinge on often flippant election promises. 

“While the CPSU welcomes more public sector jobs in Launceston and Devonport, we don’t believe decisions around the location of public sector roles should be made by ministers in an election cycle,” Mr Lynch said. 

“Public sector jobs should be located where they are able to provide the best overall services to the community and that is not achieved by politicians determining their location.”

Mr Lynch said the 2014 decision by the Liberals to move Mineral Resources Tasmania from Rosny to Burnie was a waste of money that harmed productivity. 

Labor Leader Rebecca White said decentralising government departments should not be used as “pork barreling”. 

“We’ve seen where the Liberals have talked about this in the past and it has failed,” she said. 

“Where there can be efficiencies and greater connection with community by dispersing those public servants to other areas of the state, of course that should be looked at.”

The Greens described the move as “blatant politicking”, and said more funding for DPIPWE would be a better way to improve its services.