Sunshine Coast Council: Councillors accept 2 per cent pay rise refused last year due to Covid-19 effects on the region

Sunshine Coast Councillors have opted to pocket a 2 per cent pay rise they knocked back 12 months ago citing the devastating impacts of Covid-19 on the region.

Sunshine Coast councillors have accepted a pay rise they refused to take 12 months ago due to the devastating impacts of Covid-19 on the community.

The move has divided opinion among councillors on whether it was the right decision to make with one declaring he was donating his extra payments to charity as he firmly opposed the pay rise.

Councillors accepted a 2 per cent pay rise despite the effects of the pandemic still being felt with the region subjected to a snap lockdown as recently as June 29, 2021.

The remuneration rate was determined by the independent Local Government Remuneration Commission.

Last year Sunshine Coast councillors voted unanimously not to accept the 2 per cent increase, citing the council’s focus on the needs of the community as it worked through the Covid-19 recovery process.

“On this basis, all councillors have agreed that not accepting the wage increase proposed by the Commission is the right thing to do during this very difficult time,” Mayor Mark Jamieson said in late-May, 2020.

A council spokesman said no vote had been required in 2021, as the elected members had opted to accept the increase.

The decision lifted Mr Jamieson’s mayoral salary from $228,521 to $233,091, the deputy mayor’s salary from $158,332 to $161,499 and councillors’ wages from $138,745 to $141,520.

In April, Councillor Christian Dickson expressed his view that he disagreed with the majority decision of councillors and did not support the pay increase.

He said he would’ve liked to see the matter go before the May ordinary meeting for transparency in the community but acknowledged his views were “in the minority”.

In response to questions emailed to all councillors on July 28, about the pay rise, Councillor Ted Hungerford said he didn’t support the decision to accept the wage increase and he would be “personally donating the increase to a different charity each month throughout the year”.

“I have already donated to Bloomhill Cancer Care for July and the Maroochy Men’s Shed for August,” Mr Hungerford said.

The 2020-24 Sunshine Coast Council.

Councillor Maria Suarez said the decision whether or not to accept the state’s nominated pay rise was “debated by all councillors and while it wasn’t an unanimous decision, the majority vote fell in favour of accepting the rise this year”.

Councillor Joe Natoli said the decision made only for last year was like the decision the council made not to increase rates by way of providing a rebate.

“The decision of increases is not made by council but by the tribunal, the only decision council can make is to not accept the increase which all councils are entitled by way of the decision made by the tribunal,” Mr Natoli said.

Councillor Winston Johnston said councillors “collectively decided to accept an increase”.

“Unfortunately individual councillors cannot decline as all must be paid the same amount,” he said.

“Each year I personally donate in excess of $20,000 to groups and individuals within my division.”

Mr Jamieson, Mr Baberowski and councillors Terry Landsberg, Peter Cox, Jason O’Pray and David Law did not respond to questions emailed to all councillors on July 28.

Councils can resolve before July 1 each to pay remuneration at a lesser amount than that proposed by the Commission.

“The only decision-making role that any council has in relation to councillor remuneration is if it seeks to decide not to pay the remuneration rate prescribed by the Remuneration Commission, which is what occurred with Sunshine Coast Council as a once-off measure in 2020,” a council spokesman said.

Salaried council officers were set for a pay rise of either 1.6 per cent or $18.50 a week, whichever was highest, from July 1, 2021, while field-based employees would received a pay rise of either 1.6 per cent or $25 a week.

“Sunshine Coast Council senior executives received a pay rise of 1.6 per cent in line with all other salaried staff from July 1, 2021,” the council spokesman said.