North Sydney Council

Plant Operator – Tree Worker

North Sydney Council administers the North Sydney local government area on Sydney’s picturesque lower North Shore. Our 400 employees look after 77,000 residents spread across 10 square kilometres of land on the foreshores of Sydney Harbour providing spectacular harbour views, beautiful parklands, and a bustling CBD. Our aim is to ensure North Sydney remains a welcoming, well-designed, safe and beautiful environment for residents, workers and visitors.

We are seeking a reliable and hard-working Plant Operator – Tree Worker to join our Urban Forest team. This job is responsible for maintaining Council’s street and park trees while undertaking tree works for both scheduled and reactive tree maintenance programs. Duties include tree maintenance works in accordance with current industry best practice and standards, operate and drive Council’s truck and chipper, hazard identification, arboriculture tasks, chemical applications, weed identification and control, chainsaw & chipper operation and other general duties as required.  

Essential

• Knowledge and demonstrated experience in arboriculture practices, with a focus on tree pruning and removal techniques
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience in the use and operation of a large chipper and truck
• Workcover General Induction Card (White card) for construction work
• Qualifications and demonstrated experience in the safe use of a chainsaw
• Demonstrated ability to follow instructions
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively
• Work Near Overhead Powerlines certification
• Current MR Driver’s Licence
• First Aid Certificate or willingness to complete

Desirable

• Cert II Horticulture (Arboriculture) or equivalent
• ChemCert certificate or willingness to complete
• RMS Traffic Control certificate(s) or willingness to complete
• WorkCover Elevated Work Platforms Certification (EWP) or willingness to complete
• Basic computer literacy
• Tree Felling (Basic) – Level 2 Chainsaw qualification
• Demonstrated experience working with a Front End Loader

Our culture 

In 2023 we reviewed our organisational structure to increase leadership capacity and streamline decision-making, as well as increasing innovation, collaboration and communication.  Our broader cultural transformation for 2024 and beyond includes a focus on staff engagement, investment in learning and development and improved systems and processes all working together to empower the broader workforce to perform at their best.

Joining North Sydney Council now will enable you to go on this cultural transformation with us and to make a meaningful difference to both the organisation and the community of North Sydney.

Why work at North Sydney Council?

We're committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and positive workplace. Our teams are reflective of the communities in which we operate, and we value the unique contribution each member makes to the North Sydney Council. The work we do makes a real difference to the lives of our residents and contributes to their economic and social wellbeing.

North Sydney Council as an employer offers excellent employee benefits such as:

• Easy accessibility to work with spectacular harbour view work locations
• Access to Fitness Passport 
• Excellent work-life balance with a 35-hour working week for indoor employees or fortnightly RDO’s for outdoor employees
• Flexible working hours with access to flexi-time for indoor employees
• Freedom to direct contributions to any compliant superannuation fund
• A holistic health and well-being program offering exercise classes, flu vaccinations, skin checks, and a touch football team
• Health and Well-being programs for all employees such as Yoga, Pilates, Kick Boxing
• Access to employee recognition and reward program
• Weekly fruit baskets
• Free access to counselling sessions through our Employee Assistance Program
• Free financial advice by a certified Financial Planner
• Monetary transport allowance
• Invitations to local government events, training and planning sessions
• Access to corporate social events at picturesque harbour locations
• Close locale to transport options including train, bus, metro and bike ways 

Salary from: $60,141.51 to $71,571.16 per annum (including industry allowance) + 11% superannuation + $1,000 pa transport allowance  + Uniform Provided

76 hours per fortnight with a rostered day off

How to apply

Applicants are required to submit a cover letter, resume and answer the selection criteria questions below. 

To view the Position Description, Click Here 

Closing Date: 22 May 2024 - 11.30pm 

North Sydney Council is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity in order to  provide a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. North Sydney Council  also adheres  to the principles of a child safe organisation and is committed to the care and protection of all children and young people. We strongly encourage candidates from wide-ranging backgrounds, identities and experiences to apply.