TECHNICAL and mechanical sections within Goulburn Murray Water's construction area will not be privatised, the union has been told.

Community and Public Service Union representatives had a teleconference hook-up today with Goulburn Murray Water management to learn about the company's planned restructure which aims to shed 60 jobs.


The union's Victorian secretary Karen Batt said a consultative meeting in Tatura next Thursday would kick off meetings across the water authority's worksites.

She said the union was told people in about 120 positions would be "job-matched" to new areas with a focus on "IT and issues associated with automation".

"We got an assurance the technical and mechanical divisions of the construction section would not be privatised," she said.

Documents seen by Weekly Times Now state GMW was facing challenges including about "30 per cent less water to supply and a reduction of nearly 50 per cent of our channel network over the next five years".

Ms Batt said some people were distressed about the cuts.

"The news takes cuts to over 5000 jobs across Victoria under this government," Ms Batt said.

"It shows this government is moving away from country areas like its predecessor in the 90s. The public service employs a lot of people in country areas and the job cutting undermines services to communities."

She urged all staff, union members and non-members, to attend workplace meetings to be part of the restructure consultation which ends on December 5.