SA’s top government department heads win $700k pay rise: See all the salaries
The state’s top public servants have been given an eye-watering pay rise, with the total bill now topping $11m. Here’s who’s taking home what.
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The bill for the state’s top two dozen fat cats has hit an eye-watering $11,244,647 – up $800,000 on the previous year.
The highest paid is again Department of Premier and Cabinet chief executive Damien Walker, who was given a $13,000 pay rise to $710,670.
He now earns $70,000 more than the man Labor sacked when it came to office in 2022, Nick Reade.
The biggest change to the total salary hike – up from $10.4 million in 2022 – comes because former Labor staffer and Santos workers Sam Crafter was appointed to a new position; to head the government’s Hydrogen office, at a cost of $560,788 to taxpayers.
The state government spokesman said Mr Crafter had “a unique skill set” because of his extensive work in private sector energy companies.
“It includes significant experience at senior levels in the energy sector within government and the private sector, having worked for large energy companies, consultancies and small businesses,’’ the spokesman said.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Matt Cowdrey said; “These salaries are eye-watering and are a bitter pill for South Australian families to swallow during a cost of living crisis, with many struggling to even afford the basics under the Malinauskas Labor Government’’.
The average salary for public service workers in SA is $89,984.
A government spokesman defended the increases, which reflected new appointments and also a 2 per cent pay increase, far less than this year’s inflation figure.
He said the 2 per cent increase was set and made public in 2022.
“Public Sector CEO remuneration is proactively disclosed and the figures are updated regularly, in line with new appointments,’’ the spokesman said.
“The government seeks to attract the best available chief executives in a competitive environment.
“Benchmarks are determined externally with the position against similar roles, current market forces and it also considers an agency’s impact, size and complexity within the South Australian public sector.
“This approach is applied upon their appointment to the role and when a public service chief executive’s contract is renegotiated.”
Mr Crafter was economics adviser to the former Labor Premier Jay Weatherill, and before that Mike Rann, previously earning around $200,000 each year in Mr Weatherill’s office.
The state government has been contacted for comment on behalf of the 24 executives.
New to the top salary earners is Robyn Lawrence, who is the Chief Executive of the Department for Health and Wellbeing. She has debuted second on the list of high earners, on $653,000, but manages a huge department of 45,000 employees.
This year the person to take best advantage of lower-tax salary sacrifice arrangements is Department for Infrastructure and Transport CEO, Jon Whelan, who sends $257,162 of his $509,004 directly to superannuation.
Despite doing the same job as his predecessor did for $40,000 less each year, newly appointed Environment Protection Authority CEO Jon Gorvett is paid $420,000 each year for his greater experience.
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Originally published as SA’s top government department heads win $700k pay rise: See all the salaries
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