Fraser Coast council CEO Ken Diehm, Mayor George Seymour wages

A new report reveals how much ratepayers are forking out for Fraser Coast council’s staff and councillors with one person taking home almost half a million dollars.

Council CEO Ken Diehm was the highest paid senior manager, who brought in $444,120 this past financial year.

More than $3m in remuneration to Fraser Coast council’s senior executive staff and councillors was coughed up by ratepayers this past financial year.

The council’s annual report for 2021-2022 reveals the pay packages for senior management staff totalled $1,759,204, which includes four senior executives who received wages between $250,000 and $350,000.

CEO Ken Diehm was the highest paid senior manager, who brought in $444,120 this past financial year, including superannuation and vehicle allowance and professional development.

Alongside Mr Diehm, the council’s executive leadership team includes director of development and community Gerard Carlyon, director organisational services Keith Parsons, director Wide Bay water and waste services Mark Vanner and director infrastructure services Davendra Naidu.

The report showed councillors and mayor George Seymour took home a combined $1.418m.

Mr Seymour’s pay packet was $201,860, which included $158,168 in remuneration, $18,980 in superannuation and $24,712 in expenses.

Mayor George Seymour’s pay packet was $201,860 this past financial year. Photo: Lachie Millard.

Councillors James Hansen, Jade Wellings, David Lewis, Daniel Sanderson, Philip Truscott, David Lewis, Denis Chapman and David Lee each earned $91,571, and expenses and super took that figure to between $112,000 and $126,000.

Paul Truscott received a slightly higher salary of $94,597, which included a deputy mayor allowance from March 23 to June 30, 2022.

Similarly, Darren Everard had a $101,081 pay packet for his deputy mayoral duties from July 1, 2021 to March 23, 2022.

Mr Hansen was the only councillor noted in the report for “misconduct” which arose from comments he posted on his Facebook profile regarding a terrorist mass shooting in New Zealand in 2019.

Overall, the council operated at a loss of $204,000 in the past financial year, compared to the previous financial year’s surplus of $461,000.

The report says the council received more than $182m in rates, levies and charges, which is about $8.1m more than the 2020-2021 financial year.

Those rates included water access charges, waste and sewage disposal charges, water consumption charges and general rates.

Fraser Coast Regional Council budget meeting 2022.

The report reveals more than $80.7m was received in general rates – a rough 4.8 per cent increase from 2021.

However, the council made more than $2.5m less from water consumption charges, which came in at roughly $15m for the past financial year.

In terms of outside help, the council spent $20,935 on consultants and contractors.

The annual report also says a company controlled by a close family member of Ms Wellings purchased a property that had been sold by the council at a public auction for overdue rates and charges.

At the time of settlement, the total amount of unpaid rates and charges on the property was $30,455.

The report reveals it was one of 32 properties that went to auction, and “the sale was carried out at arm’s length under normal terms and conditions for such a transaction”.

The council’s 2021-2022 annual report was adopted at the October 26 council meeting, and is publicly available on the council’s website.

Councillor wages are set by the independent Local Government Remuneration Commission.