Knife Taken to Government Agency That Helped Handle Pandemic

Service NSW (New South Wales) will cut about 125 positions as part of a downsizing process following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency, which provides access to government services such as license applications, birth registrations and payment of fines, nearly doubled its staff during the pandemic—going from 2860 employees to 4950. In the process it also more than doubled its expenses, exceeding its approved budget by $179 million (US$120 million) in 2023. According to a spokesperson for Customer Service Minister, Jihad Dib, the current number of employees is unsustainable. “Many of the programs developed in response to the pandemic and natural disasters no longer require this intensive crisis support,” they said....