• Private certifier gets nailed – depaNews November 2010
  • Wake up and don't worry - depaNews February 2011
  • HR professionals – depaNews January 2009
  • Upper Hunter gets coy – depaNews March 2011
  • BPB kills off B1 & B2 - depaNews July 2009
  • Councillors behaving badly Part One - depaNews December 2009
  • Councillors behaving badly Part Two - depaNews December 2009
  • Who is Peter Hurst? - depaNews August 2010
  • It's time to go, Peter Part One - depaNews September 2006
  • It's time to go Peter Part Two - depaNews December 2006
  • BPB survey on accreditation – depaNews November 2008
  • Improbable things start to come true – depaNews June 2010
  • Sex, lies and development – depaNews February 2008
  • Pizza man feeds non-members – depaNews April 2011
  • Bankstown wins HR Award – depaNews December 2010
  • Love him or loathe him - depaNews October 2007
  • Good Bad & Ugly issue – depaNews November 2010
  • Upper Hunter lets the dogs out - depaNews February 2011
  • IRC puts brakes on belligerent seven – depaNews June 2009
  • It's Tweedledum and not Tweedledumber - depaNews March 2007
  • 28 April International Day of Mourning - depaNews April 2009
  • IRC orders Hurst 'apology' published - depaNews December 2010
  • Debate on IR policy – depaNews August 2007
  • Developer agrees to apologise – depaNews November 2010
  • OH&S Day of Mourning – depaNews April 2009

The Development and Environmental Professionals' Association (depa)

Welcome to the depa website. We are an industrial organisation representing professional employees working in local government in New South Wales in a variety of jobs in the fields of environmental health, public health, building and development control and planning.

We take a broad approach to our responsibilities to members and give advice and assistance on professional issues as well as industrial and workplace issues. We understand what members do at work and that allows us to take a holistic approach. Read more about us...

This site will keep you up-to-date with union news and the diverse range of workplace advocacy issues we deal with daily. We have made it easy for members to contact us with online forms and quickly Join depa online nowaccess information from our extensive FAQs.

Committee of Management 2011

(in alphabetical order)

 
Jo Doheny
Vice President
 
 
I believe that it is important to be involved on the Management Committee of depa to make an active contribution to the promotion of the various professionals it represents. I will support the promotion of depa to ensure that member views are represented and appropriate employment conditions are maintained. I will also contribute to the strategic policy settings of the union as well as the Local Government Award and other legislative changes which may affect our professions. The union has a demonstrated a history of sound advocacy for the members that I will seek to continue in a professional manner and to further the objectives of the union.
 
Our union is a well run organisation which delivers excellent results to our members in a cost effective manner which will be maintained by increasing our membership and maintaining good management practices.
 
I will continue to advance our members’ workplace conditions and strengthen our professional standing in local government and the community through my involvement with the Management Committee.
 
Phone: 4325 8248
Email:
 
 
 

 
Joanne Dunkerley
Committee Member
 
 
I started my career as a Student Environmental Health and Building Surveyor at North Sydney Council in 1995, followed by 8.5 years as a building surveyor at Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby Councils. In 2007, after completing studies in urban and regional planning, I had a sea-change moving to Great Lakes Council and a new role as a town planner. Last year I moved to Newcastle City Council in an Urban Planning role.
 
At Great Lakes Council I served as the depa delegate and represented members on the Consultative Committee. For the last 4 years I have also served on the depa Committee of Management.
 
My experience in a diverse range of development and environmental roles in both metropolitan and regional councils provides me with a good understanding of the varied challenges that depa members can face.
 
I believe it is important to actively contribute to depa to ensure the continued growth and success of the association to achieve the best possible outcomes for members. With significant changes being proposed for local government, it is important to be involved and make sure depa continues to be an effective voice in the review process.
 
Phone: 4974 2891
Email:
 
 
 

 
Vince Galletto
Committee Member
 
 
I have extensive experience in local government in the area of health and building surveying and development assessment with a career spanning 36 years across a number of metropolitan councils including Fairfield, Strathfield and Ryde.
 
I have always been an active member of depa and I have considerable experience as a delegate and a member of a number of Consultative Committees.
 
I have conviction in the protection of workers' rights and entitlements in the work place as well as improving conditions in striving for a better work life balance.
 
I'm invigorated by the challenges facing local government with regards to council mergers and I'm excited by the prospects of the long lasting benefits that this may provide councils and I want to be part of depa's response and action as this process progresses and unfolds.
 
Phone: 9952 8233
Email:
 
   
 
Les Green
Committee Member
 
 
I have been a member of the depa and preceding names of the Association since circa 1972 and have been a delegate since the early 1980’s at Liverpool, Merriwa and Parramatta Councils. I have been a member of the Committee of Management since July 2001.
 
I have considerable experience in industrial/professional issues including the development of salary systems; workplace change/restructures combined with a variety of defence of members’ issues, some of which have resulted in formal industrial action. I am currently representing depa on the Food Regulation Forum convened by the Food Authority of NSW.
 
My principal reason for gaining appointment to the Committee of Management in 2001 was my genuine desire to be instrumental in the enhancement of depa and the profession overall. These desires, combined with my understanding of the significant issues confronting our profession, have increased during my 13 years as a committee member and I believe that I can still add value to the committee, depa and most importantly, the welfare of the depa membership. For this purpose, I seek reappointment as a member of the Committee.
 
Phone: 0414 980 645
Email:
 
   
 
Rachael Jenner
Committee Member
 
 
I am an Environmental Health Officer at Ballina Sire Council and have worked in Local Government for 14 years. I have acted as the local depa representative and through that experience, have become aware of issues such as difficulties parents experience in returning to work from parental leave and how councils meet their obligations under the Award to provide flexible working conditions to their staff.
 
I have served on Council’s consultative committee and also represented members in several industrial disputes which have really opened my eyes to industrial matters.
 
I see the role of committee member as being a constructive way to help improve the working conditions of all members.
 
Phone: 6686 1210
Email:
 
   
 
Jamie Loader
Vice President
 
 
The Local Government sector is entering a significant period of change with the Fit for the Future recommendations being implemented across the state. Strong, effective and strategic industrial leadership is crucial in this process to ensure that the opportunities presented by council amalgamations are realised and taken advantage of. Larger, more financially stable councils can only benefit their communities and improve employee conditions and job stability. I am extremely proud of the role that depa plays within the industrial framework of Local Government and our reputation, whilst hard-earned, speaks for itself. If we're involved, there's a fight to be fought.
 
I've been a member of the Committee for seven years now, five of those as Vice President, and during this time I've been involved in setting the strategic direction of the association, as well as representing the union in a broad range of forums. I look forward to continuing my role on the depa Committee of Management.
 
Phone: 4350 5180
Email:
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ian Robertson
Secretary/Treasurer
 
 
On 14 May 1984, while the rest of Australia was focused on the release of the gold $1 coin, I started work at a small, timid men’s club called the Health Surveyors’ Association.
 
I knew, as did some of those who appointed me, that it had the potential to abandon its obsequious past and grow to be a dynamic, assertive and professional union.
 
How lucky was I to be given an opportunity like this and how lucky have I been to be supported by members, and a Committee of Management, equally as committed to being part of a respected, effective voice for our professions in local government.
 
Government respects our views and ignores them at their peril, employers often fear us, other unions can’t match our capacity for immediate blitzkrieg action and depaNews puts our view dramatically, colourfully and authoritatively in a way our members love. No one is ever unclear what depa thinks.
 
We go hard when we need to go hard but we can be diplomatic when we need to be diplomatic.
 
It might have taken more than six days, but I have created depa in my image.
 
I’ll have another 30 years thanks.
 
Phone: 9712 5255
Email:
 
 
 
 

Robbo's Pearls...

What’s happening to the senior staff changes?

On 15 October 2021 the LGNSW Board, spurred on by a second recommendation from another ICAC investigation (Operation Dasha) to get rid of the “no reason” sacking of senior staff, unanimously resolved to do precisely that. LGNSW would now support the views we and the other unions have been expressing for decades. This was a historic consensus.

The consensus was to amend section 340 of the Local Government Act 1993 to ensure that the only Senior Staff positions, on term contracts and denied access to the industrial relations commission would be the general manager. And to amend the Industrial Relations Act to lift the remuneration level for access on unfair dismissals.

All we needed was the OLG and the Government to cooperate. That was close enough to two and a half years ago. 

There was some venal opposition from the usual suspects, but the policy was overwhelmingly reaffirmed at the LGNSW Special Conference on 1 March 2022. That was close enough to two years ago.

In April 2023 a Labor Government was elected in NSW. We all had a reasonable expectation they’d be more supportive of employment changes that reduced the risk of corruption and provided fairer working conditions. They say they are.

What have you blokes been doing?

Hoenig and Minns

It’s in the Minister’s office but nothing’s happening. It has been:

since the Government and the Minister were appointed on 5 April 2023. We are still waiting for the legislative changes required.

ELECTION NOTICE

The NSW Electoral Commission is conducting an election for our Committee of Management. We emailed all members about this on 6 March and on Monday 11 March the EC will be posting a Call for Nominations to all financial members.
Here is a link to the Electoral Commission if you are interested in the process -  including nomination forms. 

depa 2024 Election of Officers

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