Almost any business in Australia can relate to the difficulty of the country’s low unemployment rates, but how does a community’s cogs keep turning when local councils can’t find the numbers. 

Increasingly high vacancies aren’t new for most councils in the Western Plains, but the need to keep delivering services is getting more and more difficult to sustain over time. 

“What’s happening is the directors are getting overwhelmed and tired because they’ve still got to get the work out,” Lachlan Shire Council Mayor Paul Phillips said. 

“How long can we keep it up? That’s the million dollar question.”

In September, the Lachlan Shire had 18 vacant positions. It’s now grown to 29 vacancies that they can’t seem to fill. 

While businesses are suffering a similar fate, the range of roles that council has means that across the board, the community could suffer, including industries like childcare, mechanics, plant operators, and customer service. 

In a recent review of where they could be going wrong in attracting workers, a comparison of salaries offered by the Lachlan Shire and other businesses recruiting for the same role showed that often the council matched the salary, if not beat it. 

A HR Metrics report from Local Government NSW found that councils are experiencing the ‘Great Resignation’, with employees opting towards roles in state government and private sector organisations. 

Recruiting itself causing workforce pressures

A report from the Lachlan Shire Council found that the sheer number of vacancies to advertise has become a role in itself. 

“The financial costs to recruit staff and engage contractors to fill vacancy gaps it high,” the report noted. 

Lachlan Shire Mayor Paul Phillips. IMAGE: Lachlan Shire Council

Cr Phillips said that even when an appropriate worker is found, the deal isn’t sealed until they show up to work. 

“Unfortunately some people are offered the job and then we don’t hear back.”

“They’ve wasted the shire’s time and the directors’ time…it takes three, sometimes from another shire to interview these people.”

“It makes things very hard because often the second person (in line for the job) has accepted another position.”

The strain to deliver services reinforces what most local councils want people to know: be patient with local shire council staff.

“They’re doing their level best to get things done.”