Moreton Bay Regional Councillors: what they earn, how they spent your rates
We take a look at how much each Moreton Bay Councillor earns, their achievements, how often they showed up to meetings and their expense bills for 2021. VOTE IN OUR POLL
Moreton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Moreton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Moreton Councillors and the Mayor collectively earned nearly $2 million in the past 12 months but are delivering on their promises, Council’s annual report shows.
The 2020-2021 Moreton Bay Regional Council annual report was adopted by councillors at this week’s meeting.
It details budget costs, projects, council achievements, councillor pay packets and expense claims.
Across the region $118.3 million was spent on road and transport networks, $43.2 million on sport and recreation, $19.6 million on Covid-19 response, $19.8 million on libraries and the arts and $16.1 million on waterways.
We take a look at how your councillor performed.
Vote in our poll on whether they’re paid too much.
Mayor Peter Flannery
Long time Councillor Peter Flannery was elected Mayor at the 2020 local government poll.
The new title came with a significant pay increase, with his wage jumping from $138,635 to $228,521.
This financial year Cr Flannery racked up $5170.19 in expenses, not including costs for a car, laptop, smartphone and clothing which is covered by Council.
Cr Flannery had a good attendance rate at Council meetings, missing just three due to other commitments.
The Mayor has provided grants to ranging from $200 to $2000 to 35 different community groups across the region.
In the past financial year the region welcomed 10,197 new residents and approved 4096 new homes.
Cr Flannery said the council’s focus over the past year had been on building community and business resilience.
“We put in place measures to keep businesses open and initiatives to connect people to the services and support they need. We advocated for federal and state funding and assistance packages, and took direct action to keep our economy ticking,” he wrote in his annual report summary.
Highlights included the adoption of the Regional Economic Development Strategy and a goal to create 100,000 new jobs by 2041.
Division 1: Brooke Savige
Councillor Brooke Savige’s division covers Bribie Island and parts of Beachmere, Caboolture and Elimbah.
First elected in 2016, Cr Savige had one of the best attendance rates at council meetings, making it to 21 in the past financial year.
Like all councillors she earned $138,745.
Cr Savige had a modest expense bill compared with other councillors, claiming just $1,956.73.
Major works completed in Division 1 included the $700,000 seawall stabilisation project at Welsby Parade Park, Bongaree, and a $270,000 for a new pathway along Esplanade North at Donnybrook.
Council has also lobbied for the planning and design of a new Bribie Island Bridge, with funding secured from the State Government.
A total of 30 community groups including the Pine Rivers Budgerigar Society, Volunteer Marine Rescue Bribie Island Incorporated, Bribie Island Swimming Club, Bribie Island Little Athletics and Wildlife Rescue received grants from Cr Savige.
Division 2: Mark Booth
Cr Mark Booth covers Burpengary East as well as parts of Beachmere, Burpengary, Caboolture, Deception Bay, Morayfield and Narangba.
It is his first term as an elected councillor and he attended 21 of the 22 meetings held in the past financial year.
Like all councillors he took home $138,745 and had an expense bill of $4533.33.
Major achievements in Division 2 include securing $7.775 million in funding from the State Government for upgrades to Beachmere Rd.
A total of 208 new CCTV cameras were installed across multiple suburbs including Burpengary, Caboolture and Deception Bay.
New flood monitoring cameras were also installed at Carmill Community Centre Riding for the Disable at Burpengary and Burpengary Creek.
Cr Booth split his discretionary funds across 30 community groups including the Burpengary Community Association, Neighbourhood Centre Caboolture and Deception Bay Community Youth Programs.
Division 3: Adam Hain
Councillor Adam Hain looks after residents living in Caboolture South and parts of Bellmere, Caboolture, Moodlu and Morayfield.
Cr Hain claimed $3,263.75, in line with many other councillor’s expense bills.
He took home $138,745 in the past financial year.
Highlights for this division include a $2.8 million upgrade to Piper St, Cessna Drive and Skyreach St in the Caboolture industrial area.
Another $1.4 million was used to upgrade the Brown St Corridor at Caboolture.
Oakey Flat Rd between Ashbrook Drive and Lakeview Rd at Morayfield also got a major makeover.
The council has also lobbied for a new PCYC at Caboolture – the State Government has put aside $4 million for this project.
A total of 27 community groups received funds from Cr Hain’s discretionary fund.
Division 4: Jodie Shipway
Newly voted-in Deputy Mayor Cr Jodie Shipway’s division covers the suburbs of Mango Hill, North Lakes and parts of Griffin.
In the past financial year Cr Shipway earned $138,745, but this will increase now she is deputy mayor.
Her expense claim was average when compared to other councillors at $3,164.20.
She had perfect attendance at council meetings.
In her division, work started during the financial year on the long-awaited $8.5 million Griffin Sports Complex.
The intersection of Henry and Dohles Rocks roads is also in for a major $12 million upgrade – this will be a joint government project.
Cr Shipway spread her discretionary fund across 12 community groups with donations ranging from $500 to $2000.
Division 5: Sandra Ruck
Councillor Sandra Ruck looks after residents in Newport, Rothwell, Scarborough and parts of Deception Bay, Kippa-Ring and Narangba.
Like all councillors she was paid $138,745. Cr Ruck had the second lowest expense bill this financial year claiming just $1,630.03.
She had a perfect attendance rate.
A number of big projects have got under way in her division in the past year including the transformation of the former DPI building at Joseph Cres, Deception Bay.
Plans have been confirmed, construction fast-tracked and the former DPI building demolished.
Council also put $1.1 million towards smart lighting and CCTV along the Redcliffe Peninsula rail line shared pathway.
A further $1 million has been set aside to renew the streetscape along Landsborough Ave at Scarborough
The State Government has committed to put together a masterplan for Scarborough Harbour and an EOI for a passenger ferry terminal following lobbying from Council.
Cr Ruck shared her discretionary funds to 19 different community groups.
Division 6: Karl Winchester
Councillor Karl Winchester’s division covers the suburbs of Clontarf, Margate, Redcliffe, Woody Point and parts of Kippa-Ring.
Cr Winchester, like all councillors, earned $131, 745. He had a fairly low expense claim of $1764.80 and a perfect attendance at council meetings.
Some of the most significant projects in his division in the past 12 months include the upgrade of Klingner Rd and Boardman Rd. Work on this jointly funded project is due to start this month.
Council also successfully lobbied for the State Government to set aside $3 million for a Homlessness Hub at Redcliffe.
Cr Winchester gifted grants to 27 community groups.
Division 7: Denise Sims
Former deputy mayor and councillor Denise Sims resigned last month citing personal health reasons.
As deputy she had a close to perfect attendance rate at council meetings, missing just one, and earned $158,332.
Division 7 covers the suburbs of Dakabin, Murrumba Downs and parts of Griffin and Kallangur.
A number of major projects were approved including $8 million to upgrade the intersection of Brays Rd and McClintock Drive at Murrumba Downs.
A further $8.6 million has also been set aside to upgrade the intersection of Old Gympie and Boundary roads at Dakabin.
Cr Sims was also involved in the plans for a Kallangur town plan.
She distributed her grants to 29 different community organisations.
Division 8: Mick Gillam
Councillor Mick Gillam served as a Pine Rivers Shire Councillor from 1994 to March, 2008. He was elected to Moreton Bay Regional Council in March, 2008 and again in 2012, 2016 and 2020.
Cr Gillam covers the suburbs of Bray Park, Lawnton, Petrie, Strathpine and parts of Joyner, Kallangur and Kurwongbah.
He had the lowest expense bill off all the councillors, claiming just $1,067.09.
More work has been done on the $25 million The Mill site at Petrie to transform it into an education, recreation and employment precinct.
The Les Hughes Sports Complex at Bray Park received a $5 million makeover including new lights and a new art gallery was opened in Strathpine in April.
Cr Gillam supported 46 different community groups through his discretionary fund.
Division 9: Cath Tonks
Councillor Cath Tonks’ division covers the suburbs of Brendale, Clear Mountain, Eatons Hill, Warner and parts of Albany Creek, Cashmere and Joyner.
Cr Tonks had a $8716.38 expense bill, the highest of all the councillors and attended 20 of the 22 meetings.
A $14.45m regional indoor centre at South Pine Sports Complex was completed in the past financial year. The facility will be used for local, state and national sport and recreation events.
Council set aside $11 million to extend the indoor sports centre at Brendale.
A new BMX facility, a joint project with $1.4 million from council and $1.5 million from the state government, will be built at Brendale.
Council also secured funding from the federal government to build a new four lane bridge at Youngs Crossing Rd.
Cr Tonks gifted grants to 39 different community groups.
Division 10: Matt Constance
Councillor Matt Constance looks after residents in the suburbs of Arana Hills, Bunya, Draper, Everton Hills, Ferny Hills and parts of Albany Creek.
He attended 21 of the 22 council meetings and had a modest expenses bill of $3722.44.
Council has set aside $1.2 million to build a new community space at James Drysdale Reserve at Bunya.
Construction started on a new Kawowan Community Facility which will be used by the Golden Valley Keperra Lions and available for hire.
The Albany Creek Community Centre was given an upgrade with new toilets, kitchenette and entry way.
Cr Constance shared his discretionary funds with 22 community groups.
Division 11: Darren Grimwade
Councillor Darren Grimwade is the representative for Division 11 which covers the suburbs of Cedar Creek, Dayboro, Mount Glorious, Ocean View, Samford Valley, Samsonvale, and parts of Cashmere, Joyner, Narangba and Kurwongbah.
Cr Grimwade had perfect attendance at Council meetings and an expenses bill of just $2309.08.
Council invested $3 million for a new pathway and pedestrian bridge at O’Mara Rd, Narangba.
A $3.6 million, jointly funded, new tennis clubhouse, courts and carpark is under construction at the Harris Ave Sports Complex.
Council has completed the design phase of two synthetic grass tennis courts at Samford Parklands, including new lights, pathways and landscaping.
A further $300,000 will be used to reconfigure the rugby league field at Alan Cash Park, Samford, to create more playing space.
The upper buildings at Mt Glorious Hall were demolished and construction has started on a new community hall and playground.
Cr Grimwade distributed his discretionary funds to 26 community groups.
Division 12: Tony Latter
Councillor Tony Latter covers one of the largest divisions spanning from Bellthorpe, Bracalba, D’Aguilar, Delaneys Creek, Wamuran, Woodford and parts of Bellmere, Burpengary, Caboolture, Elimbah and Morayfield.
Cr Latter attended 20 of the 22 meetings and had one of the highest expense bills, $8232.01.
While there are no major projects for this area residents would have benefited from region wide roadworks and infrastructure upgrades.
This includes the $500,000 to explore tourism initiatives, $200,000 for portable CCTV equipment and $150,000 to install CCTV cameras at cemeteries.
Cr Latter gifted grants to 22 community grants.
‘Holy s***’: Qld man gets life-changing $60m call
A South East Queensland man has told how he was drifting off to sleep, daydreaming about how life-changing winning the lotto could be, when he received the incredible call to tell him he’d done just that.
Ex-Redcliffe footy star facing theft, armed robbery, NDIS fraud charges
A former Redcliffe Dolphins player accused of robbing a vape store while threatening he was armed, robbing a pizza delivery driver and ripping off the NDIS, has been granted bail after spending nearly four months behind bars on remand.