With over 200 employees, Parkes Shire Council is one of the largest employers in the region.
We offer a wide range of diverse and interesting positions, as well as plenty of opportunities for professional growth and career development. Working in the Local Government sector is incredibly rewarding, and our employees have a real opportunity to make a difference at a community level.
Benefits of working with us include:
- Full-time, part-time and casual opportunities
- Fortnightly rostered day off
- Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid and remote arrangements (role dependant)
- Generous leave entitlements
- Health and wellbeing initiatives
- Professional development
- Relocation assistance, if required
- Salary packaging
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential, professional counselling service available free of charge to all employees and their families. The service can be provided over the phone or face-to-face.
The EAP provides registered psychologists with whom employees may wish to discuss work matters and well as non-work matters such as stress, alcohol and drug problems, and relationship difficulties.
Parkes Shire Council is committed to developing a modern, contemporary workplace culture and providing a flexible and family-friend environment for our employees.
Our employees enjoy generous leave entitlements, such as:
- Four weeks' annual leave per year
- Paid parental leave
- Long service leave after five years' continuous service in the Local Government sector
- Carers and bereavement leave
- Military leave
We provide a range of flexible work benefits, including:
- 35 to 38 hour working week
- Full-time, part-time and casual employment arrangements
- Rostered days off (RDO) each fortnight
- Provisions for hybrid working and working from home
- Remote working opportunities (role dependant)
Parkes Shire Council encourages and supports employees to further develop their knowledge, skills and capabilities by undertaking further studies. We provide a range of support, including tuition fee support as well as study days, for those employees studying towards tertiary or vocational qualifications.
Learning and develop opportunities are provided to prepare our employees for future career path development. This includes seminars, conferences, external and internal training, and ongoing skill and competency development.
We are committed to "growing our own" and provide opportunities for our employees to develop their management and leadership skills. We encourage employees to take advantage of 'acting-up' roles and secondments to develop their leadership experiences, broaden their skills and prepare them for future opportunities.
Each year, we support up to four employees to undertake the Aspiring Leaders Program, facilitated by LG Professionals Australia NSW. Through this program, participants develop their leadership, communication, conflict resolution and personal presentation skills so that they can better manage their teams and position themselves to transition into leadership roles in the future.
Parkes Shire Council's employees enjoy access to a range of salary packaging benefits, including novated leases, through our salary packaging provider, Salary Packaging Australia.
Some of the other items our employees may be able to salary package include:
- Remote area rent payments
- Remote area mortgage interest payments
- Remote area fuel, electricity and gas
- Additional (voluntary) superannuation contributions
- Relocation costs
- Self-education expenses
- Personal electronic devices, laptops and mobile phones
- Home office expenses
- Professional association memberships
- Airline lounge memberships
We encourage all employees to seek independent financial advice prior to entering into a novated lease agreement or accessing other salary packaging benefits.
Parkes Shire Council offers a choice of superannuation funds, or the opportunity to join the Local Government Superannuation Scheme, known as Active Super.
As of 1 July 2022, the superannuation guarantee rate is 10.5 per cent. This will increase by half a per cent each year until 1 July 2025, when it reaches 12 per cent.
Free financial planning advice is available for all Local Government Superannuation members through Active Super.
At Parkes Shire Council, we're committed to creating a happy and healthy workplace that values inclusivity and work-life balance.
We provide our employees with a variety checks, including hearing checks, eye tests and skin cancer checks, as well as annual flu vaccinations.
We also facilitate an annual Health and Wellbeing Calendar, which includes a variety of events and activities throughout the year aimed at maximising our employees' personal, physical and mental wellbeing. Events, activities and seminars vary year-by-year, but span topics such as:
- Healthy eating and diet
- Heat, hydration and humidity
- Mental health
- Respiratory health
- Stress management
- Road safety awareness
- Team building
- Workplace relationships
Over the course of the year, we also observe various health awareness days and events, such as:
- Harmony Day
- R U OK? Day
- Dry July