Harbour Trust staff survey reveals 34 per cent of respondent staff claim they have experienced bullying

Concerns have been raised about the workplace culture of a federal government environment agency after a spike in bullying claims involving staff and members of the public.

A federal government environment agency has been rocked by workplace culture claims following an internal staff survey, in which more than one-third of respondents alleged they had experienced bullying during a period of just six months.

Concerns have been raised about the workplace culture of the Harbour Trust, which oversees and manages huge swathes of Sydney Harbour foreshore land, including North Head, Sub Base Platypus, sections of Middle Head and Cockatoo Island.

The survey results revealed 34 per cent of respondents claimed they had experienced workplace bullying, including seven reports of bullying relating to co-workers, as well as two reports of bullying by members of the public.

A Harbour Trust spokeswoman said 43 of the agency’s employees took part in the survey.

The agency’s most recent annual report shows it employed a total of 86 staff, including executives with base salaries of $331,57, as of June 30.

The Harbour Trust oversees foreshore sites including North Head.

In a statement, the spokeswoman said the survey results had been “discussed with staff” and the agency took the concerns raised “seriously”.

She said staff training had also been held, including “de-escalation training” to equip employees such as rangers with protocols for working with the public.

The wharf at Cockatoo Island.

“(The Harbour Trust) investigates all formal complaints that are received,” the spokeswoman said.

“The Harbour Trust is committed to reducing the level of incidents and working with our staff to report issues if they have them and determine future learning and development training needs.”

The Harbour Trust is governed by trust members, who are appointed by Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek.

It is understood members of the Harbour Trust have called for a “a deeper dive” into the staff culture survey, with aims that include determining how many staff members are behind the alleged bullying.

North Head, which is managed by the trust.

The agency’s spokeswoman did not respond to questions from this publication about details of the bullying concerns.

The Harbour Trust spokeswoman said training courses with staff had also been held this year “to support staff and their skills”.

She said a staff workshop was also held, resulting in an internal charter setting out how “people and teams interact and behave according to our organisational values”.

The survey results follow the agency receiving $45.2m in funding the latest federal budget.

It is understood Ms Plibersek has been made aware of the survey and has also been advised by the Harbour Trust about the actions it is taking to “improve the workplace”.

The Harbour Trust is responsible for the management of 145ha of land, which also includes Woolwich Dock, Snapper Island and Macquarie Lightstation.