Queensland mayors and councillors outside of Brisbane have been awarded pay rises worth thousands of dollars that will kick off from next financial year.<\/p>\n
The Local Government Remuneration Commission handed down its annual report last week, granting salary increases of between 3.25 per cent and 4.5 per cent.<\/p>\n
The smaller 3.25 per cent pay rise will apply to mayors and councillors in 32 local government areas that include the state’s biggest councils.<\/p>\n
This includes the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Townsville, Toowoomba, Redland, Mackay, Cairns, Fraser Coast and Bundaberg councils.<\/p>\n
Under the changes, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who leads Queensland’s second-biggest council, will be eligible for a salary of $295,542 \u2014 up from $286,239.<\/p>\n
The salary for Gold Coast councillors will increase from $170,819 to $176,371.<\/p>\n
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Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli will get a raise to $266,942 next financial year. (ABC News: Amy Sheehan)<\/p>\n
In Moreton Bay, Mayor Peter Flannery has been awarded a salary of $266,942, which is an increase from $258,539.<\/p>\n
Logan Mayor Jon Raven and Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli have also been granted the same pay rise as Mr Flannery.<\/p>\n
Councillors in Moreton Bay, Logan and the Sunshine Coast will be eligible for salaries of $162,072 \u2014 up from $156,970.<\/p>\n
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding and Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto will also see their recommended salaries climb from $230,836 to $238,338.<\/p>\n
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Newly elected Townsville mayor Nick Dametto’s salary will climb from $230,836 to $238,338. (ABC News: Chloe Chomicki)<\/p>\n
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden and Redlands Mayor Jos Mitchell will be entitled to salaries of $209,739, which is an increase from $203,137.<\/p>\n
The bigger 4.5 per cent pay rises awarded by the commission apply to 44 councils that include the state’s smallest local governments.<\/p>\n
The mayors of 33 councils, including Winton, Quilpie, Bulloo, Wujal Wujal, Aurukun and Cloncurry, will see their recommended salaries increase from $122,975 to $128,509.<\/p>\n
Mayors in another 11 council areas, including Goondiwindi, Balonne, Douglas, Longreach and Cook, will see their pay rise from $124,157 to $129,744.<\/p>\n
Response to ‘challenging’ environment<\/p>\n
In making its decision, the remuneration commission said it considered the “importance” of maintaining financially sustainable and fiscally responsible wage growth.<\/p>\n
It also said it took into account the “recently challenging and unstable inflationary environment”.<\/p>\n
Another factor it considered was the disparity in pay for mayors and councillors in smaller rural, regional and remote areas compared to larger metropolitan locations.<\/p>\n
It also noted anecdotal evidence of a desire to attract and retain high-quality candidates to local government roles, particularly in regional and remote areas.<\/p>\n