In principle agreement reached on Certified Agreement
Published on 10 June 2025
Noosa Council CEO Larry Sengstock is hoping a staff wide vote can be arranged soon to consider a new Certified Agreement.
Council reached a position with the unions on Friday 6 June before Commissioner Caddie, which has been taken to union delegates at a meeting on Tuesday 10 June.
“The in-principle agreement is good news for all our staff and allows our organisation to get back to the important work of delivering for our community,” he said.
Mr Sengstock said the Council was always committed to striking the right balance between rewarding staff, ensuring job security and meeting the expectations of the community.
“This latest agreement, if approved in a staff wide vote, will see our staff receive a pay rise well above inflation and help Council remain financially sound into the future,” he said.
Earlier: 30 May 2025
Noosa Council CEO Larry Sengstock said personal attacks are not conducive to conciliatory discussions and do little to progress the issue.
“We have made an offer of 15% over three years which in the current climate is very generous. This 15% is also on top of a comprehensive package of additional benefits which staff overwhelmingly support. It is important to recognise that CPI is currently around 2.4%,” Mr Sengstock said.
“Council has made this offer within the parameters of supporting our workers but it is important to also realise that the extra payment will potentially lead to an increase in council rates – which is council’s primary source of income.
“My job is to balance this.”
“I have never said we are going to remove assets – in fact I have said that this offer is about securing the jobs of our workers. We need to work within the budgets that we have available.
“We have remained respectful and operated within the spirit of enterprise bargaining. We are profoundly disappointed that the unions have made this personal and detracted from constructive discussions.
“The actions Council has taken with staff lockouts have been reached after many weeks where staff have been operating under protected industrial action and have been fully paid without undertaking any of their duties.
“The law has prevented us from bringing in any additional resources during this period. We are however, very grateful that since the lockout, the majority of staff have returned to work and we are making headway into the backlog of outstanding customer requests.
“It is also important to note that the negotiations continue during the lockout. We look forward to meeting again with the unions and the commissioner on Friday 6 June,” Mr Sengstock said.
EARLIER: 27 May 2025
Certified Agreement talks continue
Another meeting with Commissioner Caddie and the unions is planned for next week to progress Certified Agreement negotiations.
As is the right of an employer under legislation, CEO Larry Sengstock advised unions that staff involved in further protected industrial will be subject to an unpaid lockout until Monday 2 June.
Mr Sengstock said some staff have opted to lift the protected industrial action and return to their regular duties.
“Any employee who was taking industrial action but return to their normal work will be welcomed on full pay," he said.
The protracted negotiations and industrial action undertaken by union members over the past few weeks where they attend work, receive full pay but don’t carry out any work has put enormous pressure on staff who’ve chosen not to participate in the industrial action.
“This has had a significant impact on our people and community with maintenance activities and requests not being completed,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the only way to ease the backlog of work is to initiate an unpaid lockout which allows Council to take other steps to get the work completed."
Mr Sengstock said the offer of 15% over three years including backpay is a very strong, fair, and reasonable package that recognises the efforts of all staff.
“It strives to achieve a balance, between an affordable pay-rise and ensuring job security going forward. We believe our offer of 15% does this,” Mr Sengstock said
EARLIER: 14 May 2025
Amicable talks on new Certified Agreement
Noosa Council CEO Larry Sengstock has agreed to include back pay, effective from February this year and a 15% wage increase over three years, in the latest revised offer to Unions tabled at this week’s amicable discussions.
The unions are seeking 15.5% over three years, but have agreed to take the revised Council offer to their members next Tuesday 20 May.
The new Council offer of 15% (6.5% in year 1, 4.5% and 4%) includes back pay to the date when the previous CA agreement concluded (27 Feb 2025)
Mr Sengstock said back pay had not previously been guaranteed, due to the protracted negotiation process.
“It was difficult to ascertain what the costs to Council might be during this delayed negotiation period, however this latest offer, based on our calculations in a tight economic climate, is absolutely the best we can do, particularly as it now includes backpay,” he said.
Mr Sengstock thanked the unions for agreeing to bring the overall CA agreement into line with Council’s financial years, resulting in a potential agreement of three years and four months.
“We appreciate the unions seeking to have further talks and acknowledge their support in providing us with the opportunity to review and adjust our offer over the longer period,” he said.
“We have provided a package that helps the best we can with the current cost of living issues, ensures the security of jobs, while being cognisant of the cost to our residents and the long term sustainability of the organisation,” He said.
“Unfortunately the unions have refused to lift protected industrial action until they meet with their members on Tuesday 20 May.”
The next meeting with Commissioner Caddie of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) is scheduled for Thursday 22 May.