Documents leaked to the Bega District News show every Library Services position in the region is to be spilled and up to four senior positions advertised externally.

An internal email from Bega Valley Shire Council’s group manager for community, relations and leisure (CRL), Anthony Basford, says changes are to be implemented as soon as next month.

In the email, of which the BDN has a copy, Mr Basford recognises “some people are feeling hurt, shocked and concerned about their futures”.

It goes on to say “I have a commitment to creating a structure that delivers on the expectations of the community, councillors and the general manager,” but there is no clarification of what these expectations are.

Mr Basford’s announcement covers many areas of the CRL group, with some current positions jeopardised by a spill and fill restructuring process.

Positions formerly known as library assistants will now be called customer and information officers, and there will no longer be a specific local history librarian or a children’s librarian at any of the region’s libraries.

Some changes will also be seen at the management level of Community, Culture and Information, Leisure and Recreation and in a new position in the area of Children, Families and Ageing.

BVSC general manager Leanne Barnes remained tight-lipped in regard to the changes and said an external independent review had been conducted and the process was still in its initial stages.

“We’re at the consultation stage, we’re not at the final stage yet,” Ms Barnes said.

“We’re dealing with it as per HR processes.

“We will be looking at a whole range of models,” she said.

Ms Barnes said that staff members getting in touch with the media was “not appropriate”.

One library staff member who did not want to be named said it came as "a shock" to everybody who was called into the meeting with Mr Basford regarding the reshuffle.

“It’s going to be a difficult time for some people,” they said.

“It will be an opportunity for some, but not for others.”

A spill and fill is a restructuring process whereby a range of positions within a workplace are made redundant and the employees filling those positions must reapply for the smaller number of newly created positions available. 

The application process must be carefully managed to ensure that redeployment into a newly created role is based on performance and other qualitative features. 

Employees who are unsuccessful in applying for a new position within the organisation are then entitled to redundancy pay.

“I have been incredibly impressed by the professionalism in which the news of the changes has been received and I thank you for that,” Mr Basford said to staff in his email.

“I will continue, in conjunction with the managers and other staff, to work through the issues that arise from the changes, but need to be clear that we can’t go back,” he said.