Lachlan Shire Council has won the 2020 Local Government Engineers Association (LGEA) Employer of Choice Award.

Council General Manager Greg Tory was pleased to accept the honour on behalf of Council when it was announced at the Association’s Annual General Meeting on Friday, 27 November.

“For Lachlan Shire Council, being a small regional Council, to win such as prestigious award is a wonderful achievement and a credit to the Council and all my dedicated staff,” he stated.

He added that the award is in its sixth year and previous awardees have been much bigger councils such as Holroyd City Council, Ryde City Council, Riverina Water, Wollongong City Council and Port Stephens Council.

The award highlights good employment practices within NSW local government – particularly those that help build engineering capacity by attracting and retaining engineers and other technical professionals.

It is also designed to identify and reward organisations which have developed good relationships with the LGEA at the workplace level by valuing and respecting its members and providing support to their local workplace representatives.

Nominations were assessed against six key criteria: The terms and conditions of employment provided to LGEA members; The career structure for engineers and technical professionals; The professional development of engineers and technical professionals; Consultation and engagement with employees and their unions; A diverse and safe workplace; and How Council has navigated emergency management in 2020 – a year of bushfires, floods and a global pandemic.

The LGEA highlighted the following points which led to Lachlan Shire Council receiving the Award: Provision of Workplace Flexibility including vari leave or the choice of a 9 day fortnight; Career development opportunities through the Employee Education Assistance Policy; Benefits included in Council’s Enterprise Agreement; The proposed new Salary Structure; Sister City relationship with Penrith City with the opportunity to undertake staff exchanges which provides professional development opportunities; and Level of consultation with the LGEA and their members during negotiations.

By Melissa Blewitt.