But, details of the relocation are yet to be negotiated, NSW Police Education and Training Commander, Assistant Commissioner Mick Corboy confirmed.

An anonymous letter was delivered to the Post last week, revealing the proposed changes.

It read, “please be advised that Superintendant Middlemiss Police Commander at the Goulburn Academy has advised staff that she, not the police department, has done a restructure of education and training at Goulburn and that positions at Year Two will be moved from Goulburn to Hurstville.”

“The superintendent advised that no officer will be moved from Goulburn to Hurstville, however as people leave the Academy they will not be replaced. Move to be completed in 2016.”

It is understood the Year Two coordinator positions have been in Goulburn since 1983.

Subjects, including Police practice, police as investigators and ethical behaviour, are conducted by NSW Police sergeants and Charles Sturt University employees.

While Year Two is completed by probationary constables after they have left the Academy, it is conducted via distance.

“As a result of a new contract arrangement with Charles Sturt University, the NSW Police Force is required to provide a number of police officer positions to facilitate distance education and other training activities for serving police officers completing the Associate Degree in Policing Practice,” Mr Corboy said.

“The officers in these positions will be required to deliver training and support at police stations throughout NSW, and logistically, the officers would be best located in the Sydney Metropolitan Region.

“At this stage, the relocation of resources has yet to be negotiated between NSW Police and Charles Sturt University; however, it is believed a small number of positions could be relocated from the NSW Police Academy at Goulburn.

“It is important to note, a significant number of permanent police positions at the Academy are filled by officers living outside the Goulburn Mulwaree Council area, and the Education and Training Command will consider personal circumstances of individual officers in any relocation.”

Last month, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the future was bright for policing in Goulburn.

Essential Energy jobs on the line

PUBLICLY-owned regional electricity network operator Essential Energy has revealed the location of its first tranche of staffing cuts, with 27 full time positions axed in the South Eastern region through a “spill and fill” process that requires staff to reapply for their existing jobs, the union says.

Essential Energy announced earlier in the year that they plan to axe 1395 jobs across NSW.

The company informed staff that a final meeting of the Redundancy Consultative Committee will take place on Tuesday September 8, before individual employees impacted by the cuts are notified on September 9 and 10.

Depots that will lose staff include Crookwell, Goulburn and Yass. Workers have been informed that they will need to reapply for their jobs through a process involving: “a basic psychometric assessment of cognitive capability, personality, motivations and interests; a selection criteria assessment; an interview; and, if required, a functional assessment.”

The Electrical Trade Union and United Services Union said there were alternatives to the deep job cuts.

“Unions have put forward a range of options, including for job sharing arrangements and other efficiencies, that could drastically reduce the number of local people who will lose their jobs,” ETU deputy secretary Neville Betts said.

“Allowed to continue, these huge staffing reductions will result in the loss of specialist skills and experiences from these communities resulting in chronic future skills shortages not to mention network reliability and safety concerns.

“Rather than taking a simplistic approach of cutting jobs, unions have put forward genuine alternatives that can keep people in work, keep skills in regional NSW, and deliver savings for consumers.”