Deakin vice chancellor paid $130,000 more despite university posting major deficit

Despite his university posting a major deficit, Deakin’s vice chancellor received a more than $130,000 pay bump last year.

Deakin University vice chancellor Iain Martin received pay bump last year despite the university posting a deficit. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Deakin’s vice chancellor received a $130,000 pay bump last year, despite the university posting a $77.8m deficit.

Professor Iain Martin’s annual pay package is edging closer to $1m, with his salary bracket rising from $850,000-859,999 in 2021 to $980,000-989,999 in 2022.

Meanwhile, staff have been locked in a pay dispute with the university since June 2022, and recently rejected a proposed 9 per cent rise over three years.

The National Tertiary Education Union is calling for a 15 per cent rise over the same period.

Deakin University did not answer specific questions from the Geelong Advertiser, and referred the publication to an online statement.

In its 2022 annual report the university said Prof Martin’s salary was higher that year due to a $150,000 bonus.

According to the report he did not accept a bonus in 2021.

However, Prof Martin’s salary for 2022 alone – $654,851 – was more than the Prime Minister of Australia, who receives about $500,000.

Professor Martin’s remuneration includes salary, contractual performance incentives, superannuation, and accrued leave and was on par with that of other Victorian university vice chancellors.

The University of Melbourne’s vice chancellor, Duncan Maskell, was the highest paid in Australia with a pay packet of at least $1.5m and Monash University’s Margaret Gardner came in second earning at least $1.37m.

La Trobe University’s annual report stated its vice chancellor, John Dewar, received a $100,000 pay rise last year, bringing his salary bracket to between $980,000 and $990.000.

This was a return to his pre-pandemic salary, after a 20 per cent reduction made as part of the Australian Universities Jobs Protection Framework (AUJPF) in 2020-2021.

NTEU Deakin branch president Dr Piper Rodd said Prof Martin’s pay increase was “obscene”. Picture: Supplied

NTEU Deakin branch president Dr Piper Rodd, who also teaches at the university, said Prof Martin’s pay increase was “obscene”.

She said it was a sign of how “out of touch and disconnected” the university was from its staff and their needs.

“No other country in the world pays their vice chancellors and executives of universities as much as we do,” Dr Rodd said.

“It’s pretty obscene.

“If they were genuinely concerned … we could be given a pay rise tomorrow.”

Deakin’s 2022 annual report cited a $77.8m net deficit for the year from a $1.18bn operating income.

According to the report, the deficit was expected given the Covid-19 pandemic’s negative impact on university income.

Originally published as Deakin vice chancellor paid $130,000 more despite university posting major deficit