Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi
- One in four jobs proposed to go at DIA Community Operations Group
- Frontline community advisors disestablished – 70 jobs down to 40
- 16 local service centres to be reduced to just three regional hubs – Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch
- Cuts should not be happening this close to election
Deep cuts proposed for the Department of Internal Affairs team that helps communities access funding will strip away trusted, face-to-face relationships built up over years, with remote Māori communities set to be hit hardest.
The proposal unveiled today to staff of Community Operations / Hapai Hapori would result in a net loss of 28 roles, or one in four roles from a current workforce of 116. This includes reducing frontline Community Advisor numbers from 70 to just 40. All 70 roles to be disestablished with 40 new roles established.
“This is a huge hollowing out of expertise and trust that has been built up in communities right across New Zealand, extending deep into rural areas,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The Community Operations team supports hundreds of community, iwi and hapū groups who rely on advisors to navigate Lottery Grants, central and local government funding, and philanthropic funds
“These are the people who sit down face-to-face with a marae committee, a small rural sports club or a church trust and help them work through the maze of funding they’re entitled to access. That relationship, and the knowledge these advisors carry about their communities, can’t be replaced by a phone line or a website.”
The changes propose that 16 local service centres around the country consolidated into just three regional hubs in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
“This means whole regions will be left without a single local advisor. Community groups in places like Northland, Tairāwhiti and the West Coast will now have to deal with someone based hours away in a different city after decades of valuable face-to-face support.
“It will mean longer waits for funding decisions and less support exactly when communities need it most.
“Māori communities in remote areas will bear the brunt of this. These are exactly the communities that rely most on a trusted local advisor who understands their context – not a self-service digital portal.
“The system isn’t broken. It could be improved. But you don’t improve a service by getting rid of the people who provide it and the expertise they carry.
“Let’s be clear about what’s really going on – this is about saving money, not better services. It’s more short-term thinking from the Government that keeps demanding deeper and deeper cuts, and DIA is just the latest department to buckle under that pressure.
“That is why we need a public good test that forces agencies to properly weigh a range of factors including impacts on services, communities and Te Tiriti before hatching plans like this.
“Remember the Government promised no cuts to the frontline. There is nothing more frontline than an experienced community advisor travelling into communities to meet face-to -face with groups.”
The PSA will be strongly opposing this plan. Consultation closes on 8 October with final decisions communicated to staff on 21 October.
“The PSA is calling on DIA to halt these cuts so close to the General Election. Significant decisions like this should not be made when voters are about to choose the next government,” said Fitzsimons.
Background
Under this proposal community advisors will no longer present at the following locations.
- Kaitaia
- Whāngarei
- Hamilton
- Rotorua
- Gisborne
- New Plymouth
- Napier
- Palmerston North
- Lower Hutt
- Nelson
- Greymouth
- Dunedin
- Invercargill
Background on DIA
PSA members at DIA last week took part in the nationwide strikes on 9 September over stalled bargaining for pay increases.
8 September 2026 10,000 public servants will strike tomorrow
2 September 2026 Our precious history under threat as National Library and Archives face more Govt cuts
47 roles being to be axed which would mean, if adopted, the total workforce will soon be 15% smaller than it was two years ago with 350 staff.
29 August 2025 – Department of Internal Affairs job cuts will mean more violent extremism and child exploitation
Digital Safety team cut by a net 60 jobs, with a further 66 fixed-term roles closing.
24 June 2025 – Another 46 jobs to go at DIA with a further 14 under threat
Confirmed cuts following the March consultation, including merged management roles and reduced Personal Assistant support.
27 March 2025 – Preservation of New Zealand’s history threatened by latest job cuts
Archives NZ and the National Library confirm 30 roles cut, including librarians, curators and archivists.
18 March 2025 – Internal Affairs gutted again with Govt planning to cut 133 roles
133 roles proposed across all five DIA branches, aiming to save around $8 million a year.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.