É«ÀÇÉçÇøraises dispute: Homes NSW Lismore concierge model
8 August 2025
The bi-monthly Joint Consultative Committee meeting (JCC) was held on 16 June 2025 for Homes NSW Northern District (Northern NSW, Central Coast and Hunter area) and attended by the Public Service Association (PSA), your elected delegates and Homes NSW leadership. The JCC is as an important platform for discussions on various matters affecting our members in this district.
During this meeting it was confirmed that Lismore Homes NSW had been directed to work a roster requiring two staff to greet clients from the concierge desk. Safety and staffing concerns were raised by the PSA, with a request for further consultation due to the lack of meaningful engagement during the implementation phase and changes to security arrangements since the site opened. Further details about these discussions can be found in the JCC minutes.
Following the JCC the É«ÀÇÉçÇønotified Executive District Director (EDD) Tara Vella of a dispute over the use of the concierge model at Lismore Department of Communities and Justice: Homes NSW and Community Services co-located site.
Considering the attack on the Workers Compensation act the É«ÀÇÉçÇøare fighting to make sure our members are not exposed to increased psychosocial risks in their work environment that could be avoided. Our members have also raised similar concerns with the concierge model in the proposed design of the Tuggarah Homes NSW Office.
É«ÀÇÉçÇødispute concerns:
Lack of meaningful consultation during 2024 including not being provided WHS reports of incidents at sites with a concierge as requested.
- Increased pressure on workload due to staff’s inability to complete their day to day work while at the concierge.
- Removal of second security guard without updated Safe Work Practices.
- Staff directed to work at concierge without training outlined in the Safe Work Practices, or provided with safety briefings or alerts.
- Request for updated WHS risk assessment that would include WHS incident reports since Lismore opened.
Delegates and Industrial Staff met with EDD Tara Vella and raised these concerns, with DCJ Homes provided a written response afterwards:
- Acknowledged concerns and committed to improvements.
- Only inducted staff will be rostered to concierge desk.
- Revised roster to ensure equitable shift distribution.
- No reported incidents at Campbelltown office in past 6 months.
- Infrastructure and Assets to confirm frosted glass removal timeline.
After a meeting with our members the É«ÀÇÉçÇøsubmitted a further response.
- Workload impact: Staff unable to meet key performance indicators (KPIs) while on concierge duty as day-to-day tasks are unable to be completed. There are significant vacancies in this region.
- Security arrangements: different arrangements for other centres with a concierge. É«ÀÇÉçÇøhave requested details.
- Policy clarity: Request for standard model/policy across Homes NSW. Are other sites that are similar in size expected to have two staff working the concierge?
- Cost efficiency: Suggestion to redirect security costs to staffing because a fulltime security guard may not be needed if workers are not directed to work at the concierge.
- Mt Druitt precedent: Concierge desk removed due to safety concerns and request for further details.
- Roster issues: É«ÀÇÉçÇødelegate still sole staff member rostered daily.
- Incident reporting: WHS hazards reported in Lismore and Tweed Heads Homes NSW but not Campbelltown, why is this different? Have Homes NSW taken into consideration the impact that the floods and housing shortage has had on the local demographic.
- Request for WHS reports: For Campbelltown and Lismore since site opened.
- Safety precedent: Reference to Federal WHS breach at Centrelink.
- Provide the research that states the model decreases client escalation that the design guide is based on.
A meeting had been planned for the 18 July 2025 however this was vacated for Homes NSW to provide the further details requested. Any Homes NSW members that would like to provide feedback about the concierge model contact Regional Organiser Rebecca ReillyÂ