The Shire of Collie is a proud employer of local people, with almost 90 per cent of employees living in the local government area.
“I am proud to say that at present 83 of 93 employees, or 89.2 per cent, actually live in Collie,” Shire CEO David Burton said.
“Sometimes it is very difficult to find local people with the right qualifications, skills and experience to fill some of the jobs at the Shire and we have no choice but to cast the net wider,” he added.
“Whilst every effort is made to employ local people under the Local Government Act and the Fair Work Act, the Shire cannot legally discriminate on the grounds of where a prospective employee lives. The Shire must run a fair and equitable recruitment process,” Mr Blurton said.
The number of workers driving in and out of Collie each day is a concern to the Council and it regularly raises this issue with the major employers in the region.
“A key strategy in the Shire’s Corporate Business Plan is to work with the major employers in the region to encourage their workforces to live locally,” Shire President Sarah Stanley said.
“We value the strength and diversity of our workforce that is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of services from town planning, road and footpaths, waste management, recreation facilities and parks and gardens.”
“While we always advertise vacancies locally and encourage residents to apply, positions are not always able to be filled by people already living in our community.”
“The Shire of Collie does what it can to encourage as many of its own employees to live locally and the Shire calls on the major employers of the region to follow suit.”