The Public Service is currently centred in Canberra. As a country and regional located staff member, there simply are not any career opportunities for either myself, or my aspiring children above APS5-6 level in the country areas. The Public Service locks positions in either Canberra or other capital cities despite the fact that most jobs with today's technology being able to be facilitated at any location. There is a total unwillingness of Senior Public Servants to release jobs to country and regional areas. despite their protests and excuses to the contrary when pressured about their decisions. I want to see our children grow up with an opportunity to develop their careers and maintain their family connections in these country and regional areas without having to be forced to move to Canberra or other capital cities which only further burdens the infrastructure in those places. It's way past time that the Public Service be restructured to allow people to progress and develop their careers outside of Canberra/Sydney/Brisbane/Melbourne etc. The wealth and stability that Public Service incomes provide would hugely benefit rural and regional communities. The Secretary of DHS could easily run the department from a remote location as she can from Canberra . It is about a mindset change at very senior government levels to break up the monopoly that Canberra has on opportunities in the Public Service and the careers and incomes that go with them. We want to decrease populations and infrastructure pressures in big cities, not increase them. It is time the Public Service actively contributed to the financial and social well being of its communities in country and regional areas by doing something tangible, like putting jobs (senior jobs included) in our communities to allow our kids to aspire and us to aspire to grow and develop in opportunities that we are largely cut off from in the way that the Public Service is structured at this time. It needs to change. The mindset needs to change and the career opportunities need to open up to all, not just those in Canberra.
