The West Australian government has introduced new regulations which it says will modernise long service leave provisions for local government employees.

The new regulations, which come into effect in September, have been welcomed by the West Australia local government peak WALGA as a win for the sector.

Among other things, the reforms bolster the local government long service leave portability scheme, which enables staff to take their accrued leave with them when they move from one local government to another.

Other significant changes include allowing an employee to access their long service leave in advance after seven years in agreement with their employer.

The regulations will also allow employees to request to cash out of their long service leave after 10 years.

Under the state’s local government act, local government employees are entitled to 13 weeks long service leave for every 10 years of service in the sector, accessible after 10 years.

Finally, says WALGA

The regulations also allow long service leave to be taken in one continuous period, or more periods which may be as short or as long as the employer and employer agree. For example, an employee may reach agreement to use their entitled 65 days off work to work 65 four-day work weeks.

WALGA President Karen Chappel says the changes clarify regulations that have previously been difficult to interpret and apply, something the association has been lobbying for since 2013.

Questions about Long Service Leave have been one of the highest inquiry items for WALGA’s Employee Relations team, she said.

“We would like to thank the Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley for consulting WALGA in this review,” Cr Chappel said in a statement.

“We are also pleased that the Department for Local Governments has substantially adopted our recommendations in the shared documentation and forms that will be used by Councils and Local Government employees for their LSL entitlements.

“We will work with the Department to educate the sector on the changes, which will start on 1 September 2024.”