2020-06-09 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                     9 JUNE 2020


4                        COUNCILLOR REMUNERATION FREEZE
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                              Chief Executive Officer, Brett de Chastel
                                    CEO’s Office

Index                               ECM/ Subject/ Councillors Employment

Attachments                         Nil.



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Services & Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 9 June 2020 regarding Councillor remuneration and:
A.                       Note that the Local Government Remuneration Commission has recommended a 2%
                         increase for Councillor remuneration from 1 July 2020; and
B.                       Agree not to accept the recommended increase and instead, adopt a “Councillor
                         Remuneration Freeze” for the 2020/21 financial year.



REPORT
Local Government Remuneration Commission

As Councillors are aware, remuneration for local government elected representatives is set by
the Local Government Remuneration Commission. This is an independent State body that
determines the annual remuneration for Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Councillors for all councils
across Queensland. The Commission is currently chaired by former Noosa Mayor Mr Bob Abbot
with Mr Reimen Hii and Ms Andrea Ranson as Commission members.

Under the Local Government Act, the functions of the Commission are:
   to establish the categories of local governments
                       to decide the category to which each local government belongs
                       to decide the maximum amount of remuneration payable to the councillors in each of the
                         categories; and
                       any other function related to the remuneration of councillors directed, in writing, by the
                         Minister.
The Council categories are reviewed every four years, while the remuneration levels are
reviewed annually. The latest annual report from the Commission can be found here -
https://www.dlgrma.qld.gov.au/resources/report/local-government/local-government-
remuneration-commission-report-2019.pdf

Councils across Queensland have been allocated into one of 8 categories based on their size,
scale etc. Noosa Council is a category 3 Council. Other category 3 councils are:
    Cassowary Coast Regional Council
    Central Highlands Regional Council


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