The State Government last month announced plans for a scoping study to look at all options for the future of the LPI, one of Bathurst’s biggest employers and a rare success story from the decentralisation push of the 1970s.

Privatisation remains the favoured option and while staff have been assured any buyer would have to guarantee all jobs in the short term, employees at the LPI offices remain nervous about their future.

Cartographer Terry Murray, who is also the LPI’s Public Service Association workplace delegate, used public question time at Wednesday’s council meeting to make councillors aware of the proposed changes.

He said most staff were shocked to read about the plans in the Western Advocate, saying the Sydney head office had waited until the weekend to send an email to all staff a few weeks ago.

Mr Murray said the LPI’s 260 staff, and the department, spent around $4 million in Bathurst each year, as well as providing valuable land data.

“If it is privatised, all that data will come at a cost and that cost will have to be passed on to ratepayers,” Mr Murray said.

“We don’t expect Bathurst Regional Council to take part in street marches but we want you to be aware of the impact this will have on the community and on council.”

Mr Murray said Bathurst MP Paul Toole’s claim that privatisation of the LPI could be a good thing for the region, and possibly create more job, were unfounded.

“What private company takes over a government agency and puts staff on?” he asked.

“We’ve already lost 14 people to another government agency in Orange so there will be no staff put on at the LPI if we go private.”

Mr Murray said the upheaval had been unsettling for all staff, particularly younger employees who had families and mortgages.