1 Sep 2021

Norfolk teachers demand information about Queensland move

11:50 am on 1 September 2021

Teachers in Norfolk Island are not being told what's going on with their work conditions and they are angry.

The NSW Teachers Federation representative for the island, Suzie Hale, said while Norfolk education is to be run by Queensland's Department of Education next year - moving it from New South Wales after more than 100 years - the teachers themselves have not been put in the picture.

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Photo: Supplied

She said the teachers are happy to come under Queensland but the process of switching over has been so flawed that 26 of the 35 staff in Norfolk could leave teaching and return to their homes in NSW.

"Maybe the salaries are different, maybe working conditions are different. There are people who have been working for 35 years for the New South Wales Department of Education who have accrued years of long service leave, over 200 sick days," she said.

"We don't know what the award will look like with Queensland. Superannuation - how does that transfer, nobody has told us all of these things. Classes sizes are different between the two states."

Hale said the uncertainty is also impacting on students.

At the weekend the federal government's Assistant Minister of Regional Terriitories, Nola Marino, announced a committee would be set up to discuss employment conditions.

This followed the Norfolk Island community demanding the leadership on the island, appointed by Canberra and New South Wales, resign before they caused any more damage.

There have been no resignations, just the letter from Ms Marino announcing her committee, which will hold its first meeting today, virtually.

Health and government administrative activities are also to be overseen by Queensland, and there is the same lack of clarity for those sectors.

In June ministers in the Queensland government and Ms Marino announced an intention to develop an enduring partnership between the Australian and Queensland governments for the provision of state services to Norfolk Island.