The Australian Border Force is quietly slashing staff numbers at airports over the busy Christmas period and is believed to have suspended a fleet of boats supposed to protect the nation's northern waters, in cost-cutting moves that insiders say threaten national security.
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The cuts to critical frontline operations, which critics have blamed on "catastrophic" budget blowouts, raise further questions about the performance of the quasi-military organisation following reports that it is plagued by a toxic culture of bullying and harassment.
Leaked emails from two regional commanders show the Border Force is taking dramatic action in the face of "significant budget pressures", including slashing casual staff by up to two-thirds in some areas. Sources say the organisation is becoming increasingly casualised, which suggests the reduction in overall workers will be substantial.
In one email to staff, acting regional commander for Victoria and Tasmania Greg Dowse says the entire Department of Home Affairs, including the Border Force, is implementing "significant measures" to ensure budgets are met, including "a reduction in the number of attendances that are offered to intermittent and irregular employees", or casual workers. Sources say the changes will mostly affect airport staff.
Mr Dowse says the national decision was "not taken lightly" and affected staff have been offered counselling.
A separate leaked email to staff by Western Australia regional commander Rod O'Donnell says after receiving a revised budget "I will only be able to afford around one third of the current level of [casual staff] usage going forward". He confirmed this applied to "aviation operations" and would come into effect from December 17.
Mr O’Donnell said a similar staff reduction strategy is under way nationally to address the budget situation.
The announced cuts to the casual workforce were "a starting point" and further measures may be necessary "should the overall budget saving measures not be sufficient".
"I am conscious that this will have an impact on yourselves and your families and comes at a challenging time of the year ... I accept that the timing of this decision is not good”, Mr O'Donnell said.
Border Force insiders said the announcement had caused anxiety among staff. Casuals were devastated at the prospect of being out of work over summer. Workers likely to remain employed were questioning how they would securely process passengers and luggage with so few staff, at what is traditionally the busiest time of year at airports.
Other Border Force staff said casual shifts at airports had been dwindling for some time, causing distress for those who had given up other work to join the organisation.
Community and Public Sector Union deputy national president Lisa Newman said it had received reports of major cuts to frontline operations across the country, potentially affecting thousands of casual staff at airports and elsewhere.
"The blame for this catastrophic budget blow-out lies squarely with senior management in Home Affairs," she said, saying halfway through the financial year the agency was on track for a budget deficit of at least $300 million.
"This is a dangerous time of year to be cutting frontline capacity. There’s always a big jump in passenger numbers and freight over Christmas, so the department can only plug the gaps in one area by opening up holes in another."
The Australian Airports Association said December and January are among the busiest times of the year for local airports.
"Border processing is an essential part of ensuring passengers' safe and secure passage through the airport and appropriate resources must be allocated to meet peak demand over the summer months," the association's chief executive officer Caroline Wilkie said.
"It is essential border processing staff are allocated according to passenger needs at our airports, rather than to arbitrarily meet budget targets."
This publication also understands that a fleet of fast-response Border Force boats deployed to combat security threats in the Torres Strait have been pulled from service. The boats respond to suspected activity such as unauthorised boat arrivals, smuggling of goods and illegal fishing on a maritime border considered particularly complex and challenging.
In a statement, the department said "significant budget control measures" began on November 1 "to ensure that the Department and ABF operate within resourcing parameters, are fiscally responsible and deliver our objectives consistent with available funding, and while balancing risks, priorities and resources".
It said the measures adopted are "targeted to ensure our spending is necessary and appropriate, and directed at our areas of highest priority".
It did not deny boats had been suspended, saying "ABF do not comment on operational capabilities and maintain an operational response in the Torres Strait".
The CPSU separately confirmed it had been informed by member that fast response boats "will be taken out of service prior to Christmas" for an unknown period and crew members will be redeployed.
"Clearly this decision has been made at least partly because of budgetary pressures," Ms Newman said, adding that Border Force staff believed the boats "should be available for deployment at all times," Ms Newman said.
