Hundreds of employees at NSW's land titles registry are now uncertain about their future after a leaked draft contract revealed the future private operator could send their jobs out of the state.
During question time on Thursday, Opposition leader Luke Foley lifted up the "Land and Property Information (LPI) Concession Deed", marked "Sensitive: NSW Cabinet" and asked Premier Gladys Berejiklian whether these jobs would stay in NSW.
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Why the Land Titles Registry matters
The Baird government is close to selling off NSW's "world-class" land titles registry - here's why that's a big deal.
"Premier, I refer to this that's marked 'Sensitive: NSW Cabinet' - another leak from your leaky government - it's the draft contract for the privatisation of LPI," he said.
"Will you, Premier, at the very least make the commitment now, to include in the final contract, an absolute requirement to keep all of the several hundred LPI jobs in NSW, given that nowhere in these 232 pages of information in your draft contract is there any requirement to keep any jobs in this state?"
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Ms Berejiklian responded that only the "admin" section was being privatised and the government was going to keep its guarantee that the jobs of current LPI employees would be safe for four years after privatisation.
"We have given a guarantee to employees, which we will keep, but those on the other side can't even keep their promises in opposition," she said.
For 150 years, NSW public servants at the land titles office have provided titling and registry services to NSW residents.
The Public Service Association (PSA) had fought for the government to increase the employment guarantee period from two years to four years after the transfer date.
The government is close to leasing the LPI to a private operator who will gain control of the sensitive land and property database and provide essential titling and registry services.
The 35-year concession is expected to yield $2 billion, however Fairfax Media has revealed LPI generates $130 million in profit each year.
The government divided the original LPI into five discrete units and is selling the one, profitable unit - titling and registry services. It axed 70 jobs in the middle of last year.
Fairfax Media has seen the draft concession deed.
Under the section "Location of Services", it states the private operator will be able to provide "core services" from an "approved location" that is "outside NSW".
Labor fears nearly 400 jobs could be sent offshore because the concession deed contains no clear commitment to keep jobs in NSW.
Mr Foley later demanded Ms Berejiklian ensure the jobs remain in NSW - and guarantee that to the Parliament.
"The sell-off of land titles information is a travesty," he said. "It puts every decent home and business owner in NSW at risk of error, fraud – and guaranteed higher costs."
Stewart Little, general secretary of the PSA, said "the most professional, dedicated and best people for the job" are the locals doing it right now.
He said the government had a record of privatising and promising to continue to employ locally and then bringing overseas workers in on 457 visas to do the work.
"The government did it with Service First, putting hundreds of Aussie IT workers on the jobs scrap heap," he said.
"Regional areas like Bathurst as well as Sydney have the world's best doing the job right now and the government should back these local workers."
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet told Fairfax Media the reform was about delivering the best outcomes and the best services for the people of NSW.
"What's clear is that under the legislation passed last year, we have ensured that award staff at LPI have guaranteed employment for four years following the transaction with the same conditions as they enjoy now," he said.
Read letters about the LPI lease on December 5, December 10, February 3 and the Herald's editorial.