The news of more job losses in the region follows an announcement this week about the impending closure of the NSW Trustee and Guardian’s Bathurst office, with the loss of 11 jobs, and 14 separate redundancies at Essential Energy.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has long been touted as a benefit, but the Public Service Association (PSA) says it will lead to a drop in specialist services.

A Bathurst PSA member who didn’t want to be named said once the ADHC was privatised there would be no state-run or funded disability services.

“It’s bad news for staff and people with a disability,” the member said.

“People are under the false impression that the NDIS will give enhanced services.”

He said there was no guarantee workers would retain their positions after the privatisation, and if they did, they would receive a lower salary.

“Pay rates in the private sector are two-thirds what public servants are paid,” he said. “The majority of people in the Bathurst [disability] sector have been there 20 years.”

Among the expected loss of specialist are psychologists, speech therapists, behavioural specialisst and physiotherapists.

The PSA member said job losses would include around 30 staff based in the government office block, as well as staff in group homes in Bathurst and Blayney.

He said ADHC clients had “more complex” needs that could be catered for by other existing non-government owned disability services in Bathurst.

PSA acting general secretary Steve Turner said the NSW Government had embarked on a cost-cutting exercise against the most disadvantage people in society.

“The government’s decision to withdraw from the sector entirely shows it plans to wash its hands of the state’s most vulnerable in the largest ever sell-off and sell-out of NSW government services,” he said. 

“The current government services, which provide some of the highest level, expensive care, will not continue in the private sector. Instead they will be based on cost and business models rather than specialised needs of clients.”

The PSA will have an information stand outside Stockland Centre from 10.30am until noon today.