Up to $1.33m of ratepayer money spent on Mildura council executive team

Mildura ratepayers will spend as much as $1.33m on five council executives in FY24, with the top dogs also getting extra benefits.

Mildura council executives will be paid as much as $1.33m together this financial year

Mildura ratepayers are set to fork out as much as $1.33m to pay five executives at the council.

Currently, Mildura council has a chief executive and three general managers.

It is advertising for a fourth manager.

A spokesman for the council said roles reflected the council’s “new structure following the recent Organisational Sustainability Review”.

“Our general managers are responsible for contributing to the strategic direction of our municipality and providing specialist direction to their respective departments,” the spokesman said.

Chief executive officer Martin Hawson is paid almost $292,000 before superannuation.

He receives about $32,000 on top of that in super — taking him to a total fixed remuneration of more than $320,000 — and is given a council car to use.

Martin Hawson.

Daryl Morgan

Mr Hawson is responsible for administering the town in line with the state government.

“Broadly speaking, our chief executive is responsible for administering our municipality in accordance with the Victorian Local Government Act 2020, including managing an operational budget of approximately $150m and an estimated $1bn in assets,” the council spokesman said.

In June, Daryl Morgan was appointed to the role of infrastructure and assets general manager. Mr Morgan is responsible for infrastructure, engineering development and delivery, civic compliance, facilities and assets and waste services branches.

He pulls in a salary between $240,000 to $260,000, including superannuation and has use of a council vehicle.

Also in June, Mark Jenkins was appointed to the role of healthy communities general manager.

This role puts Mr Jenkins in charge of community care, community partnerships, libraries and knowledge hubs, and parks and recreation branches.

Mark Jenkins

Kate Henschke

His salary is in the same range $240,000 to $260,000, including superannuation and he has use of a council vehicle.

Kate Henschke was also appointed to a general manager role last month, winning the position of corporate performance general manager.

Ms Henschke has taken over responsibility for communications, financial services, information systems, and customer support.

As with the other general managers, she earns somewhere between $240,000 and $260,000 a year, and is given a council car.

The council is still struggling to fill the role of strategy and growth general manager putting the job back on the market at a salary of between $240,000 and $260,000.

Once the role is filled it they will be responsible for arts and culture venues as well as external entities like Mildura Regional Development, and the airport.

The massive pay packet reveals in Mildura come after the Herald Sun last month revealed some council executives in Victoria were earning as much $550,000.