Six jobs saved at tax office

Six of the previously tagged 16 jobs set to go at the Napier offices of Inland Revenue have been reprieved - with just 10 of the present 87 staff now set to go over the next 18 months.

The six jobs were retained after consultation with staff at the office, one of five regional centres affected by the job-cutting process.

The IRD would now reduce the numbers being axed at all five centres.

The proposal to "disestablish" 191 full-time equivalent positions was put to staff in Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier, Nelson and Invercargill last month.

Yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Service Delivery Carolyn Tremain said that number had now reduced to 156.

Ms Tremain said Inland Revenue offices not only worked with customers in their local community, but also managed work for customers around New Zealand.

In future, work not requiring face-to-face contact would be grouped in larger centres, allowing regional sites to increase their focus on education and advisory services for their communities, she said.

While pleased jobs had been saved, the Public Service Association was not impressed at the prospect of shifting what it called "virtual jobs" from regional centres to metropolitan hubs. The changes will take about 18 months and begin early next year.

Napier MP Chris Tremain said while it was disappointing some jobs would be going, he was pleased six had been saved.

Napier-based Labour MP Stuart Nash said last month, after the initial cuts which he had predicted, that they were a big loss for the city, but he was relieved they had not been as severe as previously expected.